ABSTRACT
ISSUES-CENTERED LEARNING Issues-centered learning is one of the oldest and most controversial topics in the field of social studies education. Based on the very important 1916 report, the goal of social studies as a course of study in public schools has long been the development of good citizens. While most social studies educators tend to agree with this goal, there has been and continues to be a great deal of debate regarding the best method for meeting the “good citizen” requirement. Issues-centered learning is one of the approaches developed to meet the “good citizen” goal that has demonstrated remarkable staying power in the field of social studies. Although never fully implemented into the curriculum for any extended period of time, issues-centered learning has historically been a very popular topic for social studies educators to revisit in an effort to make the classroom experience more authentic and democratic. Issues-centered learning can be considered both a pedagogical and curricular approach to teaching social studies. At its core, issuescentered learning focuses on important and meaningful social issues (poverty, injustice, discrimination, civil rights, equity, etc.) that students explore in an effort to better understand the world, as well as their own roles and responsibilities as democratic citizens. The purpose of issues-centered education is not just to raise questions and expose students to them, but also to teach students to offer defensible and intellectually well-grounded answers to these questions.
