Mitigating the Neglect of Elementary Social Studies: Inquiry Journeys to Support Robust Civic Learning

For decades, scholars have highlighted the lack of resources for teaching elementary social studies, the neglect of social studies programs in elementary schools, and the uneven quality of social studies education—and, as a result, a general lack of foundational social studies knowledge and skills among elementary students. Elementary social studies education is often a missed opportunity for teachers to equip students with the knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes to work toward social and civic change. This study investigates the potential of a high-quality model of inquiry (inquiry journeys [IJs]) designed around justice-oriented action to support robust elementary social studies. In particular, this study explores the roles of both educators and students in IJs. We analyzed three third-grade teachers’ experiences and their students’ engagement with IJs. Data include teacher interviews, teacher logs, classroom observations, and student focus groups. Findings reveal that teachers highlighted the authenticity of the IJs and valued how the integrated curriculum supported both their own learning and their teaching. Meanwhile, students reported IJs gave them the opportunity to engage in empowering, justice-oriented, and meaningful social studies education. In this paper, we present how a high-quality inquiry-based social studies curriculum, in a high-stakes testing environment like third grade, can help mitigate the neglect of elementary social studies education and inspire new life into the domain.