Powerful knowledge in the social studies classroom and beyond

Abstract

This article examines how teachers and students connect disciplinary knowledge to contexts outside the classroom in naturally occurring teaching in 80 Nordic lower secondary social studies lessons using a standardized observation manual. We found evidence that teachers often connected disciplinary knowledge to students’ experiences and wider societal issues. However, our findings highlight interesting differences in the extent to which teachers unpack such connections to situations outside of school. Departing from the discussion on powerful knowledge within subject-specific education, we discuss the educational potential and limitations of recontextualising and establishing interactions between horizontal and vertical discourse in social studies teaching. Our findings provide empirical insights that are relevant for the ongoing discussion on powerful knowledge as well as for teachers’ professional development.