Efficacy and challenges in teaching elementary social studies: insights from four states

Abstract

Abstract

Purpose The United States of America continues to have a social studies problem. Social studies knowledge and skills have been on the decline in recent years (National Center for Education Statistics, 2023). This should not be a surprise given that elementary social studies has been marginalized over the last 30 years (e.g. Doornbos et al., 2025; Houser, 1995). This lack of social studies content knowledge and skills could be impacting all citizens' ability, especially the most vulnerable, to exercise their constitutional rights to participate in our democratic society. In response to these concerns, we built a pilot study to investigate practicing elementary teachers' (n = 74) efficacy, beliefs and teaching of social studies in four states. Design/methodology/approach Participants completed the Social Studies Efficacy and Beliefs Scale (SSEBS), which was adapted by the researchers from the T-STEM Science Scale Personal Science Teaching Efficacy Scale. Findings Despite moderate to high self-efficacy, the researchers found that participants faced significant obstacles (e.g. time, resources, support) to teach social studies. Participants who expressed they did not have enough instructional time to teach social studies expressed a desire to increase instructional time because of social studies' societal importance. Social implications This research contributes to the discourse on elementary social studies instruction and how to advocate for more social studies at the elementary level. Originality/value The researchers' construction of an efficacy scale for elementary social studies and their investigation of elementary teacher's efficacy contributes to the field studying the marginalization of social studies because it provides a new lens for measuring what elementary teachers are doing, can do and want to do in their classrooms.