Program

Education Doctorate

Number of Pages

263

Year Approved

2024

First Advisor

Tracy Reimer

Second Reader

Stacie Stanley, Safary Wa-Mbaleka

Abstract

Since the publication of the 1619 Project in 2019, history classrooms have encountered heightened scrutiny, prompting a profound examination of pedagogical practices. The discourse surrounding the teaching of history to K-12 students has engendered vigorous debate, underscored by a profound socio-political schism surrounding the appropriateness of emotionally challenging historical content. There are noted tensions between White guilt and societal concerns regarding the integrity of historical scholarship. This dichotomy has emphasized anxieties about society’s collective capacity to engage with modern challenges, due to the insufficient comprehension of historical antecedents as a consequence of K-12 history classrooms failing to adequately teach history. This research endeavored to ameliorate this schism by proposing a trauma-sensitive approach to the teaching of divisive historical topics. By leveraging a systematic review to investigate the intersections among SAMHSA's Six Guiding Principles to a Trauma-Informed Approach, critical race theory, and Ubuntu, a rigorous analysis of pertinent literature was conducted. This study identified numerous points of intersection between SAMHSA's Guiding Principles and the aforementioned ideologies, along with notable convergences and divergences between critical race theory and Ubuntu. The findings suggest that a synergistic application of critical race theory and Ubuntu may effectively address the mental health needs of students within the history classroom and foster an inclusive educational environment that respects lived experiences of diverse students and their histories.

Degree Name

Education Doctorate

Document Type

Doctoral dissertation

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