Emphasis on diversity of religious views in social studies: A national survey of social studies teachers

Based on a national social studies survey that included over 10,000 respondents from 44 states, this study examined the emphasis on diversity of religious view (EDRV) in public school P-12 social studies classrooms. This article addresses the following research questions: (1) how do teachers of different subjects (economics, history, and civics) or courses (e.g., U.S. history and world history) compare in their relative EDRV; and (2) what is the association-if any-between the relative importance of cultivating critical thinking/decision-making skills as a primary purpose for teaching social studies and EDRV? Teachers of different social studies subject areas differed (F [6, 499]=13.83, p<0.001, η2=0.13), on their relative EDRV. There was also a positive relationship (F [4, 10,072]=115.83, p<0.001) between teachers who believe that the primary purpose for teaching social studies is the cultivation of critical thinking/decision-making skills and the frequency with which they emphasize diversity of religious views (EDRV). The article discusses these findings and their implications on teacher education.