Semester of Graduation
Summer 2026
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Secondary and Middle Grades Education
Committee Chair/First Advisor
Dr. Johari Harris
Second Advisor
Dr. Rachel Gaines
Third Advisor
Dr. Tom Okie
Abstract
This qualitative case study explored two research questions: What did CDF Freedom School teachers experience while teaching elementary and middle school students how to learn history with a critical lens? How did CDF Freedom School students’ work demonstrate historical empathy and perspective-taking? Using secondary data collected by Dr. Johari Harris from the Summer 2023 CDF Freedom School in Charlottesville, VA, a thematic analysis was conducted of exit interviews from four teachers, classroom observation data from one teacher, and writing samples from students in grades 3-8 in response to materials from the Educating for Democracy curriculum. Themes were created from teacher data and grouped into three categories: compounded structural and curricular concerns; meaningful moments grounded in teacher identity and student growth; and affordances that encouraged them to continue instruction. Student writing data revealed significant development of historical empathy/perspective-taking between elementary and middle school groups, the emergence of ideological literacy in middle schoolers, and the presence of presentism in students of all grade levels. This study addresses a gap in the literature on how to teach students in grades 3–8 to think historically, and its findings have implications for curriculum design, professional learning, and the relational groundwork for justice-centered teachers.
Included in
Curriculum and Social Inquiry Commons, Early Childhood Education Commons, Secondary Education Commons