Bringing Worlds Together: How Social Studies Teachers Make Content Meaningful
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Elizabeth Barrow
Location
Russell Union 2041
Type of Research
On-going
Session Format
Oral Presentation
College
College of Education
Department
Department of Middle Grades and Secondary Education
Abstract
Secondary educators in social studies classes face the challenge of maintaining the attention of twenty to thirty students while they instruct them about content that often seems irrelevant or unimportant. These educators know, however, that the material these students are disinterested in is useful and crucial for developing adolescents who are learning to interact with the world. Research suggests that bridging the gap between the classroom and the real world has been linked to greater classroom engagement (Cooper 2014, Tagliaferro, 2012). Students who are engaged and exert more effort in class derive academic benefits, such as placement in advanced pathways and increased test scores (Carbonaro, 2005). Civics education and the inclusion of real-world content in classrooms increases the likelihood of students’ civic participation once they leave high school (Institute for Citizens and Scholars, 2019; Pew, 2023; Siegel-Stechler, 2019). While research indicates that connecting the classroom to the real world effectively keeps students engaged productively, the manners and practices used vary from school to school and teacher to teacher. This research seeks to expand upon the literature by approaching educators across the state of Georgia for information on their practices building real-world relevance into lessons.
Program Description
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Start Date
4-23-2026 11:15 AM
End Date
4-23-2026 11:30 AM
Recommended Citation
Payne, Harley A., "Bringing Worlds Together: How Social Studies Teachers Make Content Meaningful" (2026). GS4 Student Scholars Symposium. 120.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/research_symposium/2026/2026/120
Bringing Worlds Together: How Social Studies Teachers Make Content Meaningful
Russell Union 2041
Secondary educators in social studies classes face the challenge of maintaining the attention of twenty to thirty students while they instruct them about content that often seems irrelevant or unimportant. These educators know, however, that the material these students are disinterested in is useful and crucial for developing adolescents who are learning to interact with the world. Research suggests that bridging the gap between the classroom and the real world has been linked to greater classroom engagement (Cooper 2014, Tagliaferro, 2012). Students who are engaged and exert more effort in class derive academic benefits, such as placement in advanced pathways and increased test scores (Carbonaro, 2005). Civics education and the inclusion of real-world content in classrooms increases the likelihood of students’ civic participation once they leave high school (Institute for Citizens and Scholars, 2019; Pew, 2023; Siegel-Stechler, 2019). While research indicates that connecting the classroom to the real world effectively keeps students engaged productively, the manners and practices used vary from school to school and teacher to teacher. This research seeks to expand upon the literature by approaching educators across the state of Georgia for information on their practices building real-world relevance into lessons.
