Developing an Online Elementary Social Studies Community of Practice to Enhance K-6 Geography

Bibliographic Data

ID21348682
AuthorsAlex Oberle (0000-0001-8603-9480, University of Northern Iowa, corresponding author), Charles Gore (0000-0002-4315-9113, National Geographic Society), C Fay Gore (Strategic Partnerships, Grants, and Educator Initiatives, National Geographic Society, Washington, DC, USA), Elaine Larson (0000-0001-5639-7770, Regional Director, Midwest, National Geography Society (retired), St. Paul, Minnesota, USA)
Year2025
Volume124
Issue1
Pages1-11
Publication date2025-01-02
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Geography (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0022-1341 • E-ISSN: 1752-6868
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/00221341.2024.2432939
OpenAlexW4405351832
LanguageEN
References cited19

Social studies instructional time in elementary schools has declined substantially. Responding to this, the National Geographic Society (NGS) developed a professional learning program called the Elementary Social Studies Community of Practice (ESSCoP). This article describes this program’s design and content, as well as evaluates its effectiveness. The project team employed surveys administered throughout the program as well as summative feedback. Program evaluation demonstrates that ESSCoP enhanced participants’ geography teaching, including their self-assessed ability to access high quality resources and teach using their state’s geography standards. The program additionally increased the amount of instructional time the participants dedicated to teaching geography

Five themes of geography · Formative assessment · Geography · Historical geography · Human geography · Location · Mathematics education · Medical education · Pedagogy · Social science · Social studies · Sociology · Summative assessment · Diverse Educational Innovations Studies · Educator Training and Historical Pedagogy · Geography Education and Pedagogy · Medicine · Psychology

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