A Study On Civic Education In Michigan K-12 Social Studies Curriculum In United States

The emergence of American social studies curriculum in K-12 schools has created a systematic school curriculum environment for the development of civic education in United States since the founding of the United Stated.In the process of adapting to the call of times changing,the goals and forms of civic education are also experiencing adjustment.As the most significant way for the school to carry civic education goals and cultivate competencies needed by future citizens,social studies promote the civic education career in United States to an excellent future.The calling of the era and reality demand has led to the foundation of this paper in exploring civic education in the American Social Studies Curriculum.Besides,as the key member of NCSS in developing social studies curriculum,Michigan State Educators’ concept and practice view of social studies has a high approval by the whole country,which led to the study focus of the thesis.At present,research on U.S.social studies curriculum’s standards,structure and civic education’s nature,function and practice have achieved far-reaching development,however,the study on social studies,as a carrier for the implementation of school civic education and the core of enhancing civic education,combined with the nature of civic education to explore it’s concept is less concerned.Therefore,this study attempts to stress this relationship that has been overlooked in the previous research process and resort to the presentation of actual status of Michigan State,aiming to provide a value reference for the development of social studies curriculum in China.The full text is divided into five parts:first,based on the interpretation of the origin of research problem and the literature review,the introduction part explains the research purpose and significance,the definition of research core concepts,research ideas and methods as well as research difficulties and innovation points,aiming to provide the theoretical basis for subsequent research.Second part has provided and summarized the history of civic education in Social Studies Curriculum in United States.Along with the track of the development of social studies curriculum,the civic education development process after the founding of the United States was divided into three phases:1776-1883,1884-1920,and 1921 to now.The different relationship---separation,conflict and co-exist---of disciplines within social studies curriculum symbolize different time phase,which start from the balance status within civic education,to the innovation,finally achieve excellence after the establishment of social studies.Third part focuses on the civic education concept in Michigan States’ social studies,which explores in three parts:civic education’s value,aim and standards.Based on the value goals,orientation and selection,value part tries to explore the value character of this curriculum.According to the aim construction,drive and enhancement,aim part tries to give the interpretation of knowledge aim,practice aim and responsibility aim.Providing the concept of Michigan K-12 Standards,standards part puts the civic education into the core of curriculum development,and then explores standards’ integral and compressive character in structure and content to meet civic education’s needs.The purpose of the theoretical inquiry is to make the actual outcome and run it in practice to gain a value test.Therefore,the fourth part mainly starts from the four dimensions of curriculum structure,content selection,teaching strategy and evaluation system of civic education in Michigan State social studies in order to further explore the effective way of implementing civic education in social studies curriculum.In curriculum structure dimension,we find a comprehensive feature of social studies in the Chapter 2,based on this feature,we explore different discipline’s content proportions in different grades and find they are all returning to the comprehensive feature.In content selection dimension,I use the textbook as the study subject,and finds it use the problem as the topic theme,cultivate the thinking skill as the development way and educate national identity as the basis to implement civic education.In teaching strategies dimension,the forms for state and school levels to implement were also included in the scope of teaching strategies.We find the school provides a freely curriculum organization form,teacher uses flexible teaching way and state provides the diversity of teaching resources.In evaluation system dimension,the construction the construction of the evaluation system embodies the characteristics of equal emphasis on knowledge and skills,and the implementation process reflects the characteristics of multiple and unified coexistence.Lastly,based on the above research,we could develop social studies curriculum by filling with Chinese characteristics and advantages.The suggestion starts from three aspects:school,teacher and curriculum resources.First,the overall guidance of the curriculum concept at the school aspect includes three dimensions :the precise positioning of the curriculum objectives,the implementation of the curriculum structure,and the trend of adding curriculum content.Secondly,the improvement of teacher’s abilities begins with three dimensions:deepening the understanding of the curriculum,strengthening professional knowledge,and innovating teaching concepts,through the emphasis of these demensions,teachers’ professional knowledge,professional capabilities,and professional attitudes will also be facilitated.Finally,the construction of curriculum resource platforms needs to ensure the sufficiency,diversity and systemicity of resource provision,thus could help to improve the effectiveness of classroom teaching.