Significance, Prevalence and Desirability of Social Issues in School Curriculum [microform] : Implications for Teacher Education / Joseph D. Huber

To determine the significance of selected social issues in the social studies and non-social studies curriculum, a questionnaire was completed by principals, social studies teachers, and teachers from other subject areas at the middle school level. Respondents of both sexes, identifying themselves as conservative or liberal, were asked to rank 18 social issues in order of importance and to indicate whether each is or ought to be included in the curriculum. Based on useable responses from 64 of the 75 schools surveyed, alcohol and drug abuse, environmental pollution, and violence were consistently rated as the top three social issues. Females and liberals tended to feel more strongly that social issues are and ought to be included in the curriculum. Female respondents tended to agree with male respondents much more than conservative respondents agreed with the liberals when ranking the importance of social issues. Although 90 percent of the respondents felt that the above issues were the most significant, barely half believed that they are currently included in the social studies or other subjects. Although there was little agreement about the extent to which each issue should be included in the curriculum, environmental pollution ranked highest among issues that should be included both in social studies and in subjects other than social studies. (LH)