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As a historian of the social studies curriculum, I am
interested in the various ways that social education and
citizenship education have been conceptualized in school
programs over time. One of my main areas of focus is social
education among American ethnic groups. My previous work has
investigated how American Jewish educators adapted social
studies education in Jewish schools as a means of maintaining
ethnic distinctiveness. I hope my future work with other
“hyphenated” American groups expands our understanding of what
social education and citizenship education means in different
sectors of American society.
Another area of my research focuses on teacher education in
the social studies. Over the past year, I have been
collaborating with a group of co-investigators from the
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minnesota State
University-Mankato, and the College of St. Catherine on a
grant-funded project studying the relationship between teacher
preparation programs and teacher performance in ethnically and
culturally diverse school and classroom contexts in Minnesota. I
also have been working with a colleague from Teachers College,
Columbia University, on an ongoing investigation of student
teachers’ perceptions of social studies teacher preparation
programs.
Prior to coming to the University of Minnesota, I served as
an instructor and supervisor at Teachers College, Columbia
University and an adjunct instructor and program coordinator at
The Steinhardt School of Education at New York University.
Before entering academia, I taught history for four years to
grades 8 through 12 at a private school outside Washington, D.C.
I presently teach courses in social studies education,
curriculum theory, and curriculum history. I am also affiliated
with the Center for Jewish Studies faculty as a scholar of
Jewish education.
Selected publications
Jacobs, B. M. (2005). What’s wrong with the
history of American Jewish education? Journal of Jewish
Education, 71(1), 33-51.
Jacobs, B. M. (2004). Jewish education for
intelligent citizenship in the American Jewish community,
1910-1940. In C. Woyshner, J. Watras, & M. S. Crocco (Eds.),
Social education in the twentieth century: Curriculum and
context for citizenship (pp. 76-92). New York: Peter Lang.
August 2006
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