Transcript Not Just His Story

NOT JUST HIS STORY
Using Biography and Diversity to
Increase Relevance in the Social
Studies Classroom
Gretchen Winch
2014-2015
Statement of the Problem
• “I am not concerned with diversity.”
– White male student
• All students can benefit from studying diverse people
(Benjes, 2012)
• I want my history classroom to be inclusive
• The LHS School Improvement plan calls for diversitybased lessons
Statement of the Problem
• Today’s history classes focus on White males
• Curricula & textbooks exclude many groups
• Women, people of color, & non-heteronormative people
(Heilig, Brown, & Brown, 2012; Shipley, 2012)
• Courses focus on political leaders
• Students have trouble relating to historical figures
(Benjes, 2012)
My Intervention
• I planned a research-based intervention
• I compiled a list of diverse historical figures
• My students chose individuals to study
• Each student conducted independent research
• Students created digital biographies
Example Digital Biography
Methods
• 120 11th-grade World History students
• Mixed-methods data collection
• Collected qualitative & quantitative data
• Pre-/post affective survey
• Asked about representation of different groups
• Post-intervention open-ended questionnaire
• Asked about the intervention unit
Research Question 1
• How do classroom materials affect the potential for
including diverse and relevant models in the
students' possible research candidates?
Findings (Research Question 1)
Historical Figures in World History Textbook
Textbook Feature Individual’s Race, Ethnicity, and Gender
White Male
All Others
“History Makers”
48
26
“A Voice from the
Past”
2
4
“More About . . .”
(Teacher's edition)
6
4
Research Question 2
• When presented with a diverse list of possible
historical figures, does the students’ selection
reflect that diversity?
Findings (Research Question 2)
Students’ Choices of Historical Figures to Research
Race & Ethnicity of Percentage of List
Historical Figures
White (nonHispanic)
Black
Native American
(including Hispanic)
Asian/Pacific
Islander
Hispanic
Percentage of
Selections
31.24
41.27
25
16
6.24
6.04
25
18.49
15.62
9.59
Findings (Research Question 2)
• Why did students choose certain individuals?
Top Five Reasons for Choosing Historical
Figures
Type of Reason
Basic Knowledge
Occurrences
121
Occupation
Curiosity
Significance
115
98
70
Geography/Nationality
58
Research Question 3
• Will using sources from cultural and gender
minorities increase the extent to which students
feel that they can relate to history?
Findings (Research Question 3)
Affective Survey: Questions 1 – 3
Question
People of my race,
ethnicity, and gender
are represented
equally in this class.
Certain groups are
over-represented in
this class.
Certain groups are
under-represented in
this class.
Pre-Survey
Average
Post-Survey P-Value
Average
3.5
3.504
.972
2.972
3.168
.145
3.072
3.076
.978
Findings (Research Question 3)
Affective Survey: Questions 4 – 5
Question
Pre-Survey
Average
Post-Survey P-Value
Average
I can relate to the
historical figures we
study.
3.037
3.304
.008
I can relate to the
historical topics and
subjects we study.
3.153
3.317
.098
Research Question 4
• How will students react to the inclusion of diverse
sources in the history curriculum?
Findings (Research Question 4)
Types of Diversity Mentioned
Type of Diversity
Occurrences (out of 22)
Occupation
8
Non-Specific
7
Race
4
Geography/Nationality
4
Ethnicity
2
Socio-Economic Status
2
Gender
1
Culture
1
The Big Picture
• Students enjoyed the research project
• They liked learning about diverse people
• Students especially enjoyed learning about nonpoliticians
• However, they view White male history as normal
• Teachers should include more diverse voices
Limitations
• The main limitation was time
• I was teaching full-time during the intervention
• Another limitation was resources
• The textbook was old and lacked diversity
• The library had less sources about minorities
• I was also teaching research skills
• Focusing solely on diverse voices might have helped
Moving Forward
• The librarian is ordering more diverse sources
• In future, projects like this will be easier
• I plan to use my intervention project again
• I will continue to seek out diverse sources
• I want to show students many perspectives
Special Thanks
• Thank you Mrs. Hager and Mr. Bloch!
• I could not have done this project without you.
References
• Benjes, K. E. (2012). Making history not boring via
multicultural
education. A Rising TIDE, 5.
• Heilig, J. V., Brown, K. D., & Brown, A. L. (2012). The illusion of
inclusion: A critical race theory textual analysis of race
and standards. Harvard Educational Review, 82(3), 403-424.
• Leonardtown High School. (2013). School Improvement Plan.
Leonardtown, MD.
• Shipley, S. (2012). Teaching advocacy, respect, and support:
One teacher's reflection on her lesbian identity. A Rising
TIDE, 5.