Lessons Learned from Two Neighbors: How Educators Teach of United States Policies

Abstract

This study provides an analysis of data collected from Chihuahua, Mexico, and Ontario, Canada, educators on how United States (U. S.) policies are taught and discussed in their classrooms. Teachers and administrators were interviewed with regard to their respective curricula and classroom discussions. The researcher sought to gain insight on how historical and current U. S. policies are addressed. Participants responded to questions regarding how much time was devoted to U. S. policies in classroom discussions, how much open discourse exists in classrooms, what ideological differences are evident, and why Americans should be informed of perspectives in another country’s social studies classrooms. The researcher uses border pedagogy and meliorism to analyze  how educators present geographic, historic, socioeconomic, and political issues as they relate to U. S. classrooms. Addressed are implications for integrating perspectives in U. S. classroom discussions and, in turn, broadening the social studies curriculum in American schools. Moreover, this study seeks to provide additional insight for those who educate on common issues in U. S. classrooms.