The purpose of this study is to find an effective method of teaching controversial issues in high school social studies. It is necessary to widely apply classes dealing with controversial issues to high school social studies because they help students...
The purpose of this study is to find an effective method of teaching controversial issues in high school social studies. It is necessary to widely apply classes dealing with controversial issues to high school social studies because they help students develop higher order thinking and decision making, which is one of the goals social studies pursues. Because of social and cultural environment where education focus on entrance examination, students' perception, and teachers' internal limitations, however, they have not been applied to real classes.
To achieve the purpose of this study, the meanings of controversial issues and classes regarding them were identified, relationship between classes about controversial issues and social studies was explained, and models of the classes were compared and analyzed. Then, an examination was conducted on criteria of selecting controversial issues, and on those which have been abstracted. In addition, new controversial issues suitable for Korean classes were abstracted through analysis of curriculum. Based on a newly designed model of classes about controversial issues, a teaching-learning plan was presented, and an effective method of teaching controversial issues in social studies was drawn by analyzing obstacles in actual classes.
The results of this study are as the following:
First, the findings from literature review indicated that classes about controversial issues could help students acquire social knowledge, forster virtue of democratic citizens, and improve higher order thinking such as critical thinking and problem solving ability.
Second, when controversial issues were composed on the basis of social problems, the following problems could be selected: traditional social problems which had happened in the process of industrialization and urbanization; conflicts of individual interests because of indivisualism and pluralism in society; social problems based on special characteristics of Korea; and international interests, global and future problems, environment problems, and quality of life in accordance with globalization.
Third, based on the existing IPSO model, a new structure of introduction, pursuit, and summary was designed, and a teaching-learning plan focused on 'Internet Real Name System' was presented.
Fourth, to effectively teach controversial issues in social studies, controversial issues must not be selected on the basis of only negative aspects, both teachers and students have to prepare for classes thoroughly, and teachers have to make efforts to teach with positive perspectives and attitudes towards classes regarding controversial issues.