A Content Analysis of Internet Sessions Presented at the National Council for Social Studies Annual Meeting, 1995–2002

Abstract

The Internet has been touted as a useful resource for social studies teachers. This study used content analysis methods to examine trends in sessions focused on the use of the Internet presented at the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) annual meeting (1995–2002). Session abstracts were analyzed for: type of Internet sessions presented, the institutional affiliation of presenters, and goals of the Internet sessions and topics covered. Results indicated that, after an initial increase, the number and proportion of Internet sessions presented have declined over the last three years. In addition, college and university faculty consistently make up the greatest proportion of presenters of Internet sessions, with a relatively small proportion of sessions devoted to teaching strategies employing the Internet. The study reveals a potential dearth of research into the use of the Internet in K-12 social studies classrooms, and it mirrors previous calls for increased attention to these issues.