Teaching – Secondary Social Studies

Overview

This non-licensure master's program in Teaching – Secondary Social Studies, at American Public University System, will not lead to eligibility for teaching certification, and is intended for those who do not have and/or are not seeking any teacher licensure.

This master’s program is aligned with West Virginia Professional Teaching Standards (WVPTS), national content standards for secondary social studies, and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).

Program Objectives

In addition to the institutional and degree level learning objectives, graduates of this program are expected to achieve these learning outcomes:

• Apply the central concepts, tools of inquiry, structures, contemporary theories, and paradigms in education that develop a classroom climate to enhance the social, emotional, physical, and psychological aspects of students.

• Create lesson segments that reflect theory and practice.

• Demonstrate effective interpersonal communication skills of speaking, listening, reading, and writing when interacting with pupils, parents, teachers, and other school personnel.

• Design performance-based assessments, instruction, evaluation, and intervention plans.

• Use media and technology as tools for professional development and to promote student learning.

• Adjust teaching style and strategies without influence of bias to meet the needs of students regardless of cultural background, ethnicity, gender, learning style, at-risk condition, and/or disability.

• Model professionalism and high ethical standards in the classroom and develop appropriate strategies for self-evaluation as a means of assessing one’s own professionalism and teaching effectiveness.

• Demonstrate knowledge and skill in classroom management and discipline using effective means to develop and maintain a positive classroom climate.