A Search for Decision Making in Three Elementary Classrooms: A Pilot Study

This study examined teaching practices of three elementary teachers (Grades 1, 3 and 5) in terms of the Decision Making Model advanced by Shirley H. Engle and Anna S. Ochoa in their book, Education for a Democracy: Decision Making in the Social Studies. The study examined practices of exemplary teachers for elements of the two major curricular dimensions of this model: (1) controversial social issues as the content focus and (2) intellectual processes: critical thinking and decision making. Teachers did not have prior awareness of the model. Secondly, we examined teaching practices related to democracy, diversity and gender. The study also allowed us to identify teaching practices common to these three teachers.