Constructivist informed pedagogy and middle school students' perceptions of content relevance in social studies

Today's classroom teachers face the formidable challenge of motivating and inspiring students to learn content that may be far removed from their everyday lives. Abstract content demands pedagogy that will provide opportunities for students to find meaning and relevance in their learning. For teachers of middle school social studies, this is especially true. Adolescent learners may be disinterested in studying the history of world cultures, and view the content as abstruse and irrelevant. This qualitative action research study applied constructivist informed pedagogy to investigate how students construct relevance in social studies and how pedagogy influences students' perceptions of relevance. Participants were seventh-grade students in a suburban middle school in New Jersey. Data included student interviews and numerous work samples collected during three units of study. Data were analyzed using predetermined and inductive categories and reviewed for evidence of relevance. Data were charted for comparison across work samples. The findings suggest constructivist informed pedagogy provides opportunities for students to construct relevance of the content by relating new learning to students' personal experiences and prior knowledge. Social studies lessons that are engaging, relevant, and meaningful help students realize how social contexts shape their understanding of a diverse society and how the past influences the present. Constructivist informed pedagogy holds promise for all teachers facing the challenge of making learning meaningful and relevant to their students.