About Elementary & Social Studies Education

The department prepares teachers for all educational environments from prekindergarten to grade 12, as well as teacher educators and researchers for higher education institutions. With high-demand undergraduate majors in early childhood, middle school, and social science education and with graduate programs perennially ranked among the top 5 in the country, the Department of Elementary and Social Studies Education is known for its innovative preparation of educators who have a strong theoretical and practical understanding of teaching, learning, and educational environments. Faculty and students conduct research on a wide range of issues, and the department supports the democratic reform of schooling through the League of Professional Schools.

Department faculty are nationally recognized in their areas of expertise. Their research includes the study of teaching and learning in all the subject areas of the school curriculum, childcare policy, comparative education, culture and pedagogy, early educational intervention, education for democracy, the history of education, the professional development of teachers and teacher educators, reflective practice, the roles of families and communities in schooling, school reform and policy, schooling and social justice, the social construction of motivation, and teacher-student relationships.

Employment Opportunities

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