STUDENT ENGAGEMENT DURING SOCIAL STUDIES CLASS Cokinos 1

Student Engagement During Social Studies Class: A Comparative Study Between Students at
Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy and Half Hollow Hills High School West

Katina Cokinos

Sr. Mary Ann Jacobs

Manhattan College: Education 206

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Abstract

In this essay I will aim to answer the question, “What engages 9th grade students during history

class?” by evaluating scholarly research as well as my observations in 9th grade classrooms.

Research has suggested that in order to make the teaching of social studies conducive, both the

teacher and student must facilitate a classroom that contains enthusiasm, curiosity, and

inclusiveness. Many students find the content of social studies incredibly boring, complex and

redundant. During my time at Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy and Half Hollow Hills High

School West, I noticed that socioeconomic statues played a pivotal role in the intrinsic

motivations amongst students. However in both cases, students seemed to be reluctant to

participate in class and became unattentive. The question I plan to propose is: “How do teachers

facilitate an engaging, productive learning environment while teaching social studies?”

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Introduction to the Study

Throughout my tenure as a student of social studies it has become exceedingly obvious to

me that my fellow peers were completely disengaged and uninterested in the content being

taught. Unbeknownst to me, I couldn’t fathom why this was the case. Social Studies was my

favorite part of the day (besides gym, of course) and I couldn’t comprehend how someone could

fall asleep while learning about a war or major political event. As a prospective educator I am

going to contest why this is. Students fail to participate when content is boring or dry to them.

Furthermore, a student will not engage when they are intimidated by the content in fear that they

will fail. This is a common phenomenon in Social Studies; memorizing specific dates and events

can be daunting as well as understanding the causation and correlation of an event. I observed a

9th grade global history inclusive class last year at Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy and found a

disconnect between the students and the content being taught. Whenever the teacher would

lecture there was a decrease in student engagement. However, whenever group work was

prompted student engagement spiked and the conversations being had were thought provoking

and content specific. The students seemed to enjoy working with one another sharing their ideas

and thoughts. The collaborative environment versus the non-collaborative environment answered

my research question; students become engaged when there is active, productive prompts and

participation. The consistent spewing of content during lecture can drag immensely and students

can and will get “lost in the sauce” as per my younger sister Alexis stated, who is currently a 9th

grader at Half Hollow Hills High School West. Taking this step in interviewing Alexis and

observing her class at Hills West will give me comparable data and a more wholesome, inclusive

research.
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The Research

In the article “Using Technology to Motivate Students to Learn Social Studies” Tina

Heafner conveys an explicit and well supported argument. Heafner examines how the aid of

technology in the classroom can improve student engagement. She notes the fact that many

educators find difficult tees in motivating there are students to learn, especially in social studies

classroom. With the use of technology, Heafner asserts that the implementation of technology

not only helps facilitate learning the content, but teaches self efficacy and self-worth as well.

Heafner bases her study on personal experience. Her research is framed by the idea that

collaborative and interactive work is more conducive for social studies students than other

methods. Heafner states “Technology empowers students by engaging students in the learning

process. The nature of the task shifts from teacher centered to student centered” (47). The reader

of her research is cautioned, however. Her research is not to be looked at as one dimensional or

taken verbatim. Her research does not contend that technology is the primary method for

instruction in a social studies classroom. In fact, technology by itself is insufficient. The

integration of technology with traditional lecture and content based standards, however, is

incredibly effective (49). Tina Heafner’s research was insightful, diverse, and contemporary. I

find her observations and models of understanding very much applicable to my teaching style

and philosophy.

John J. Chiodo of the University of Oklahoma and Jeffery Byford of Indiana University

conducted an extensive study of middle and high school students in the social studies classroom.

They propose the question “do they really dislike social studies?“ which insinuates that there

may not be a gridlock on the idea that social studies has been, and always will be, boring. Their
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study aims to evaluate students’ attitudes towards social studies. Byford and Chiodo use a

phenomenological research approach by interviewing two groups of eighth-grade students and

two groups of 11th grade students. A pivotal phenomenon when conducting this study was

understanding student behavior(s) and perception(s) in the classroom. The traditional classroom

has one or two teachers that lead and facilitate the lesson to a group of students sitting down in

desks. This type of setting gives of a leader/follower relationship. While conducting their

research, Byford and Chiodo found two main themes that emerged. The first theme suggested “...

active involvement and teacher enthusiasm led to positive images of social studies by middle and

high school students”(19). The second main theme was “... perceived utilitarian value or lack of

it, was a major factor regarding both middle and high school students’ views of social studies”

(19). The practices and principles that lie in the teachers’ hands such as commitment to helping

students learn, enthusiasm and individual attention directly and immensely correlate to students’

attitudes towards social studies. Byford and Chiodo found that “...both middle and high school

students mentioned times of boredom and uncertainty with the teaching methodology was

primarily in expository form of instruction” (20). A small adjustment to avoid this type of

boredom would be the implementation of group work, interactive worksheets, and technology in

the classroom which are methods I definitely plan to employ in my future classrooms.

John A. Zahorik produced his finished product “Elementary and Secondary Teachers'

Reports of How They Make Learning Interesting” which explores methods, ideas, and

philosophies educators practice to make their classrooms enjoyable. He concluded that hands-on

activities / interactive learning was the leading method for facilitating an interesting classroom.

Hands on activities allow the student to become an active participant rather than a passive
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listener. Hands on activities can include role play, participating in simulations, playing

educational games and so on. He also notes that factors such as “personalized content / material,

student-teacher trust, and groups tasks” enable a productive learning environment. Personalized

content refers to subject matter or skills that are related to students interests. This can be seen

when a teacher composes word problems with a student’s name or chooses a popular book or

movie that just came out to study. Student-teacher trust revolves around activities that embrace

and respect the student’s intelligence, integrity and pride. This practice goes hand in hand with

creating an inclusive and safe classroom environment for students. Zahorik reported that most

teachers rarely teach strictly to the content facts or required standards. However, he challenges

this notion with the idea that hands-on activities should not be the end all be all. Teachers should

always teach in regards to content and standards but how that content is taught, the methods of

doing so, is what makes all the difference in the classroom.

Devise a Plan

My proposed research question was for the most part answered and supported in the

sources that I analyzed. After much consideration and evaluation, my plan to hook my students

will include extensive interactive activities and group work. Research shows that in order to

engage students in the classroom, especially when teaching social studies, the teacher must

employ an array of teaching methods. Too much of one method or the other is never beneficial,

especially when there are various personalities and needs in the classroom. After observing both

Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy and Half Hollow Hills High School West, I have come to the

conclusion that funding and parental support at home makes a huge difference in classroom

behavior. There are always extrinsic factors that cannot be controlled by the teacher. As a
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teacher, I will do everything in my power to make my lessons hands-on and interactive despite

these outside variables. An example of a project I plan to assign is: students will build/draw

irrigation routes/canals and design the urban planning of a civilization (Ancient Mesopotamia or

Egypt). Students will understand that an intense increase in population and the utilization of

natural resources calls for a complex society. Students will add infrastructures such as houses,

canals, roads and geography such as rivers, mountains, and deserts to convey their understanding

for the content learned in class. A project like this is fun and productive for all parties involved.

My classroom(s) will be interactive as well with the implementation of “question drop boxes”

and a behavior reward system. Considering I will most likely be teaching students who have

special needs, the reinforcement of appropriate behavior is vital to facilitating a productive

learning environment. All of my lessons will begin with students standing up to stretch their

muscles and talking to their neighbor for 30 seconds to get rid of their “extra energy”. I will also

almost always have a closure segment to my lesson where students will share any information

they learned that day or ask any clarifying questions they may have.

It is imperative to constantly link new ideas to something the students can already relate

to. There are so many other places students would rather be than sitting in a classroom,

especially when warmer weather comes around. By constantly connecting new ideas to old ones,

students will not only be learning, but they will be having fun at the same time. Reminding my

students that learning history is imperative for being a productive and contributing member of

society, is also something I always plan to reinforce. It will be a continuous objective of mine to

keep students engaged with hands-on, interactive work and help them set higher standards for

themselves. By setting attainable and measurable goals, students will have something to work
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towards, and in exchange, they will have something to feel good about when they receive their

grades. As a teacher, I will be their role model, and in some cases, I may be the only positive

influence in their life. For this reason, I must make every effort possible to constantly give my

support to all my students during social studies class time. A good teacher teaches, a great

teacher leads, and an amazing teacher inspires; I plan to inspire my students.

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References

Chiodo, J. J., & Byford, J. (2004). Do they really dislike social studies? A study of middle school and

high school students.​ Journal of Social Studies Research, 28​(1), 16-26. Retrieved from

http://www.library.manhattan.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/21106599

6?accountid=12258

Heafner, T. (2004). Using Technology to Motivate Students to Learn Social Studies. Contemporary

Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 4(1), 42-53. Waynesville, NC USA: Society for

Information Technology & Teacher Education. Retrieved November 8, 2018 from

https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/21905/

Zahorik, J. (1996). Elementary and Secondary Teachers' Reports of How They Make Learning

Interesting. ​The Elementary School Journal,​ ​96(​ 5), 551-564. Retrieved from

http://www.jstor.org/stable/1001849
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