The effects of project-based units and class wide peer tutoring on students in secondary social studies classrooms.

Abstract

Social studies instruction has suffered considerably due to lack of curricular emphasis, shifts in federal spending, and generally limited pedagogical knowledge and strategies. The purpose of this project, therefore, was to examine the effects of two innovative pedagogical approaches, project-based units and Class Wide Peer Tutoring, on the social studies knowledge and perceptions of 10th grade students enrolled in two required social studies classes. More specifically, the study asked: (a) Can project-based units improve student performance on curriculum-specific, social studies outcome measures? (b) Can Class Wide Peer Tutoring improve students' social studies vocabularies on quizzes over traditional, teacher-led instruction? Present findings indicated that both project-based units accompanied by cooperative learning procedures and Class Wide Peer Tutoring were effective in improving 10th grade students' social studies performance. These findings extend this data base to a new student population, geographic location, and educational outcome measures. Implications for future practice and research are discussed.