GATEways to Teacher Education

A journal of the Georgia Association of Teacher Educators

Are you interested in participating in a follow-up interview?

Appendix B

Focus Group Session Questions

1. Tell us about the settings where you teach. How does the context, community, demographics, etc. that you teach impact how you make decisions when choosing instructional methods in social studies?

2. What are your overall thoughts about lecture as a teaching method for social studies?

3. How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted and/or changed your views on lecture as a social studies teaching method?

4. What do you need to support your social studies teaching in the virtual setting during this pandemic?

5. What do you need to support your social studies teaching in the face-to-face setting during this pandemic?

7. What else would you like to share?

Appendix C

1. What is the goal of social studies?

2. Do you think lecture supports your beliefs in how and why we teach social studies?

3. What are benefits of lecture? Can you tell me what you think the benefits of lecture?

4. What skills do you think students gain or learn from lecture?

5. Do you believe you are expected to lecture? If so, by whom?

6. Do you think there is a disconnect between what your college of education and your district expects, versus what your expectations?

7. Do you think that the COVID-19 pandemic and shift to online teaching impacted your decision or your expectation to lecture?

8. Have these decisions or expectations changed if you went back to in-person and/or hybrid teaching?

Appendix D

1. Since we last spoke during the Spring 2021 semester, did you go back to teaching in-person, online, or hybrid (both online and in-person instruction)?

2. Since starting the 2021-2022 school year, have your views on lecture changed since we last spoke during the spring 2021 semester? If so, how? If not, why?

3. Do you find that you are lecturing the same amount as opposed to last school year? If so, how come? If more or less frequently, why?

4. Do you find that COVID-19 protocols at your school are impacting whether or not you are choosing lecture as an instructional method where you teach? Why or why not?

5. Do you find that the expectations of you to lecture are the same, more, or less since we last spoke during the spring 2021 semester? Why or why not?

Is there anything else you would like to share with me to follow up on the lecture study you participated in during the spring 2021 semester?

Dr. Katherine Perrotta is anAssistant Professor of Middle Grades and Secondary Education at Mercer University Tift College of Education and a former middle school social studies teacher in the New York City Department of Education. Her research on historical empathy, social studies teaching methods, and pre-service and in-service social studies teacher professional