The Inclusion of Women's History in the Secondary Social Studies Classroom
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University of Central Florida STARS Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 2013 The Inclusion Of Women's History In The Secondary Social Studies Classroom Cicely Scheiner-Fisher University of Central Florida Part of the Education Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access) is brought to you for free and open access by STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STARS Citation Scheiner-Fisher, Cicely, "The Inclusion Of Women's History In The Secondary Social Studies Classroom" (2013). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019. 2848. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/2848 THE INCLUSION OF WOMEN’S HISTORY IN THE SECONDARY SOCIAL STUDIES CLASSROOM by CICELY SCHEINER-FISHER B.S. University of South Florida 2001 M. Ed. University of Central Florida 2010 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Education at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Summer Term 2013 Major Professor: William B. Russell ABSTRACT The author examined the motivation for why, and methods of how, some secondary social studies teachers incorporate women’s voices into the traditional history framework. A multi-layered qualitative methodology was employed for this study using survey, case study, and phenomenological approaches, including interviews and classroom observations of participants. The researcher discovered the percentage of teachers who claim to incorporate women’s history/perspectives into their lessons; how teachers incorporate women’s history/perspectives into their lessons; and, the factors that contribute to teachers including women’s history/perspectives into their classes. ii Dedicated to current and future feminist educators. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS “The miracle isn’t that I finished, it’s that I had the courage to start.” -John Bingham I am overflowing with gratitude for all of the people who have supported me along this journey. This has been one of the greatest and most rewarding challenges in my life, and I could not have accomplished it without the support of so many. First, I would like to thank my husband James Fisher for his unwavering encouragement throughout this process. He has served as a guide and an inspiration, and has picked up the slack at home when necessary. And promised me my very own camel if I finished on time. Thank you to Dr. William Russell, who served as chair for my committee, answering questions, and guiding me along the way. Dr. Russell not only broadened my horizons within the social studies, he also mentored me as a writer and scholar, and without all of his efforts, I would not be where I am today. My committee members, Dr. Terri S. Fine, Dr. Randy Hewitt, and Dr. Richard Hartshorne, thank you so much for sticking with me throughout this process, for providing mentorship, and allowing me to work along side you on a number of projects. Dr. Fine, especially, you have been an inspiration to me, and provided more support than you can imagine. iv Dr. Scott Waring, thank you for bringing me into this program, providing me the opportunity to work with the Library of Congress, and believing in me throughout my studies. You provided guidance and support, and for that I am grateful. Thank you to my friends and colleagues in this program, who have been the most helpful influences one could hope for—Barbara Houser and Christopher Busey, thank YOU! And finally, my wonderful family—my parents: Margie and Allen for their love, guidance, encouragement, and emotional and financial support through the years. My sister Carly, who although she still has no idea what my dissertation is on, gave me love and inspiration throughout my whole life. And my in-laws, Janice and Seth, who provided me the best support in the world, my partner. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................................... iv LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................................... viii LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................................................ ix CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 1 Theoretical Framework ........................................................................................................................................... 3 Statement of the Problem ....................................................................................................................................... 6 Research questions .................................................................................................................................................... 6 Definition of Terms .................................................................................................................................................... 7 Significance of the Study ......................................................................................................................................... 8 Limitations ..................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Organization of Dissertation ................................................................................................................................. 9 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................................................. 10 Incorporating Women’s History ...................................................................................................................... 11 Social Studies Curriculum.................................................................................................................................... 18 Textbooks..................................................................................................................................................................... 21 Gender Bias ................................................................................................................................................................. 23 Gender Balance/Gender Equity ........................................................................................................................ 24 Recommendations for Incorporating Women’s Voices ....................................................................... 26 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY............................................................................................................... 29 Research Questions................................................................................................................................................. 29 Feminist Research Strategies ............................................................................................................................ 29 Research Design ....................................................................................................................................................... 31 Case Studies ................................................................................................................................................................ 31 Phenomenology ........................................................................................................................................................ 32 Research Setting ....................................................................................................................................................... 32 Population and Sample ......................................................................................................................................... 33 Data Collection .......................................................................................................................................................... 34 IRB Approval ............................................................................................................................................................ 34 Data Collection ......................................................................................................................................................... 34 Interviews.................................................................................................................................................................. 34 Observations............................................................................................................................................................. 35 Data Analysis ............................................................................................................................................................ 36 Positionality ................................................................................................................................................................ 37 CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION ..................................................................................... 40 vi