Secondary Social Studies Teachers’ Time Commitment when Addressing the Common Core State Standards

Abstract

In 2010 the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) were officially released in America for mathematics and English language arts and soon adopted by 45 of the 50 states. However, within the English langue arts domain there were standards intended for secondary social studies teachers under the title, Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects. Moreover, the CCSS have been advertised as being able to transform the way teachers teach. That is, social studies teachers are expected to alter their instructional practices as a direct result of the implementation of the CCSS. Therefore, this study examined, using a self-reporting survey, whether the instructional practices of secondary social studies teachers in one Southeastern state had been “transformed” by the CCSS.