Promoting Higher Order Thinking in Social Studies: Overview of a Study of 16 High School Departments

A study of social studies departments in 16 high schools examined the extent to which higher order thinking was promoted and how barriers were overcome in the more successful departments. This overview article presents a conception of higher order thinking grounded in non-routine intellectual challenges, a discussion of the role of knowledge, skills and dispositions in meeting them, and the observation scheme used to assess classroom thoughtfulness. It describes the research design and previews the four ensuing articles that report empirical findings.