Transforming Middle School Social Studies

Abstract

This transcendental phenomenological qualitative study examined two middle school social studies teachers that worked with an instructional coach to use their classroom textbook to transform the curriculum by using the College, Career, and Civic (C3) Life framework. Both teachers implemented several attributes and characteristics from the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) standards while incorporating dimensions of multicultural education using some or all of James A. Banks’ four practical multicultural approaches within the unit. After the interviews, the teachers agreed that the textbook was a viable source to create an inquiry unit of instruction. Both teachers found that Bank’s approaches created a more inclusive, culturally responsive learning environment and each participant expressed her/his opinion with definite commonalities concerning the planning and implementation of the multicultural, culturally responsive C3 inquiry unit.