The social studies discourse instrument: Validating an observation tool for classroom discussions

This article introduces the Social Studies Discourse Instrument (SSDI), a novel observation tool for capturing whole-class discussions in social studies. This tool assesses three domains of classroom discourse: teachers’ discursive moves, students’ discursive moves, and indicators of students’ social studies learning. While the first two domains, adopted from an existing tool, focus on how teachers and students build upon one another’s ideas, the third domain draws on an array of research traditions to articulate content-specific learning goals for social studies discussions. To validate the SSDI, we scored 78 videotaped discussions facilitated by preservice teachers (N = 25), calculated interrater reliability, and conducted exploratory factor analysis and qualitative analyses. Our findings suggest that the SSDI holds value as a tool for describing social studies discussions. We conclude by offering avenues for future research using the SSDI, including its applicability to a wider range of discussion contexts and its use in examining discussions facilitated by veteran teachers. The SSDI provides a much-needed tool for analyzing and improving social studies discussions, offering opportunities for teachers, teacher educators, and scholars to enhance student discourse and learning in social studies classrooms.