What Middle School Students Have to Say about Strategy Use in Social Studies

Abstract

The following study describes how eighth grade social studies students used strategies to learn material in their social studies class. Using case study methodology, the researcher explored the strategies that students used to learn information, the frequency of their strategic usage, and the students' methods for acquiring strategies. Students preferred rehearsing information over and over again, tended to use strategies when they saw a need such as preparing for an exam, and learned their strategies on their own, from a family member, or from a teacher. For middle school students, having the knowledge of strategies gave them varied tools for learning information and skills in their social studies classroom.