“A republic, if you can keep it” : a case study analyzing critical thinking and civic engagement within pedagogical practices of secondary social studies educators in Lahaina, Hawai`i.

One of the most polarizing issues in education is how students formulate their own opinions of society and the world. Social studies education, including what curriculum should be taught, what material and mediums teachers utilize to teach, and how teachers educate students to think, are essential to students becoming independent learners who are empowered with their own perspectives. This case study investigates social studies educators’ pedagogical practices at Hanalei Preparatory Academy to identify how they plan for and deliver teachable moments that increase critical thinking and improve civic mindedness. This single, holistic, qualitative case study investigates pedagogical strategies that encourage critical thinking and civic mindedness. Werner’s (2016) intentional emergent pedagogy operates as the foundational theoretical framework, which entails the optimal convergence of meticulously planned teaching integrated with spontaneous, unplanned learning to formulate deep, transformative learning. Through a series of lesson observations and semi-structured interviews with four teachers, the research explicated the pedagogical techniques that social studies educators implement to empower students to engage in critical thinking and civic mindedness. This study answers the questions:

1. What pedagogical techniques and methods do social studies teachers implement to promote civic mindedness and critical thinking?

2. How do social studies teachers encourage critical thinking and civic mindedness within the moments of the intentional and emergent pedagogical framework?

I analyzed data using open coding and axial coding revealed themes in pedagogical strategies to uncover which instructional methods encourage students to think critically and become civic-minded. The outcome of this study uncovered a collection of pedagogical methods teachers implement in social studies classes to empower students to think critically and foster civic mindedness skills. The implications of this study reveal the vital importance of inquiry-based learning, the deep connection between developing critical thinking and civic mindedness skills, and the crucial nature of relationships in student growth and development. The findings of this study can indelibly change how social studies educators teach to have a tremendously positive impact on catalyzing students’ critical thinking and civic mindedness.