Date Approved
8-9-2026
Graduate Degree Type
Project
Degree Name
Education-Instruction and Curriculum: Secondary Education (M.Ed.)
Degree Program
College of Education
First Advisor
Sherie Klee
Academic Year
2025/2026
Abstract
Research shows that many secondary students lack the critical thinking skills necessary for academic and civic success. Traditional instructional methods that prioritize content coverage and recall fail to help students develop and apply this skill. Effective instruction requires educators to move beyond these traditional methods and intentionally design curriculum that incorporates instructional strategies that engage students in analysis, investigation of diverse perspectives, and formulate evidence-based conclusions. This project addresses this gap by presenting a contextualization-based curriculum unit designed to support and build critical thinking skills among secondary Social Studies students. The result is a unit that immerses secondary Social Studies students in a significant historical and present-day conflict through identity exploration, historical analysis, empathy building narratives, and the examination of potential solutions. The goal of this project is to provide secondary Social Studies educators with a practical, classroom ready model for building critical thinking skills through contextualization-based instructional strategies. This approach can be adapted across diverse historical and socially complex topics, allowing students to develop the critical thinking skills necessary to meaningfully engage in the world around them.
ScholarWorks Citation
Mashburn, Kelcie J., "Curious Minds, Critical Thinkers: Contextualization-Based Instruction in Secondary Social Studies" (2026). Masters Projects. 741.
https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/gradprojects/741
