The Application of Empirically Supported Practices in Middle School Social Studies Classrooms

Material encountered in social studies has been shown to be challenging for students with reading difficulties, including those with disabilities. This study first examined the amount of time eighth-grade U.S. History teachers implemented empirically supported instructional practices. Second, this research investigated the association between instruction and student growth in content knowledge. The sample included 188 students identified with low reading ability, of which 20% were students with disabilities. Instruction in 30 classrooms was coded for the presence of learning strategy instruction, study aids, graphic/spatial organizers, peer-mediated instruction, computer-aided instruction, and mnemonics. Utilization of these practices was limited (similar to 20% of total instruction), with the use of spatial/graphic organizers and peer-mediated activities most prevalent. Time allocated to these practices was not significantly associated with student gains in content knowledge. Additional research to determine how to best impact content learning for students at-risk for poor learning outcomes is warranted.