Key findings from a major new study on U.S. history education reveal a wide variety of practices in classrooms, as teachers navigate political pressures, limited resources, and evolving digital tools.
Why it matters: With debates over how history is taught at an all-time high, the American Historical Association’s (AHA) comprehensive report provides fresh insights into what’s actually happening in history classrooms. The research involved a 50-state analysis of standards, a 3,000-educator survey, and a review of instructional materials across the country. [The New York Times, subscription model]
Key Takeaways
- Civil Rights Movement and the American Revolution dominate: These two periods remain top priorities for teachers, with 80% of respondents emphasizing them in their curriculum. Yet, educators struggle to cover lesser-known topics like Native American history before colonization and recent historical events, with many requesting more support and training in these.
- Digital over traditional: Over three-quarters of teachers rely on free online resources like federal archives and PBS Learning Media, while only about half use traditional textbooks. Teachers say digital resources help them more effectively engage students who are less willing to read large sections from textbooks.
- Supplemental tools on the rise: Teachers are increasingly turning to learning platforms like BrainPOP to build students’ background knowledge and Kahoot to make learning more interactive. These tools are popular for their ability to make complex historical topics accessible and engaging through learning activities that include quizzes and animated videos, helping to boost student participation in the classroom. Researchers caution that relying on resources from across the internet can make it difficult to maintain a consistent, high-quality curriculum, and underscored the need to ensure materials come from reputable sources. [Education Week]
- Political pressures at play: Teachers report feeling the tension from both sides of the political spectrum, with some progressive districts leaning into equity-focused initiatives and some conservative areas enacting restrictive laws around “divisive concepts.” Yet, the majority of teachers remain committed to presenting a balanced view of U.S. history.
- Inquiry-based lessons on the rise: Many teachers are turning to inquiry-driven lessons, where students analyze primary sources and form their own conclusions. However, the AHA report warns that not all questions are well-designed, sometimes leading students to oversimplified moral judgments.
What’s next: As debates over history education continue, the AHA’s findings offer a roadmap for how teachers and policymakers can better support educators in delivering comprehensive and balanced U.S. history lessons.
