Does it Really Matter How We Teach? The Socializing Effects of a Globalized U.S. History Curriculum

Abstract

Since Robert Hanvey wrote his seminal article, “An Attainable Global Perspective,” (1976), social studies educators have attempted to devise strategies to implement his five themes or further define global education. While the process has not been without controversy, a further area of difficulty relates to the research on global education. Specifically, most of the research is comprised of studies of preservice or active service teachers and how they implement global education, rather than the effects of a globalized curriculum on student attitudes, behaviors or cognitions. The following article presents the results of a study comparing the socializing effects of a global versus a traditional curriculum and elaborates a theoretical approach premised upon cognitive dissonance theory. The author uses a pre-post test format to measure attitudinal change in students, and uses observational data to interpret test results.