Teachers' professional growth in teaching students’ social scientific reasoning

This exploratory study investigates how the use of subject-specific educative curriculum materials in a professional development program contributes to the professional growth of Dutch social science teachers in teaching social scientific reasoning. Teachers' professional growth (N = 10) was examined using pre- and post-interviews and questionnaires. The analysis focused on changes in teachers' knowledge, beliefs, and instructional practice. The results indicate that teachers developed a deeper understanding of the complexity, difficulty, and subject-specific nature of social scientific reasoning. The subject-specific educative curriculum materials served as a catalyst for teachers’ professional growth in teaching social scientific reasoning.