2018 News
Professor to receive Distinguished Career Award from National Council for the Social Studies
College of Education Professor Stephen Thornton, PhD, will receive a national award for his extensive contributions to knowledge in the field of social studies education.
TAMPA, Fla. (October 5, 2018) – To celebrate his extensive contributions to the field of social science education,
College of Education Professor Stephen Thornton, PhD, was selected as the recipient
of the National Council for the Social Studies’ 2018 Jean Dresden Grambs Distinguished Career Research in Social Studies Award.
Founded in 1921, the National Council for the Social Studies is the largest professional association in the country devoted solely to social studies
education. The Jean Dresden Grambs Distinguished Career Research Award recognizes
professionals who have made extensive contributions to knowledge concerning significant
areas of social studies education through meritorious research.
Dr. Thornton is a professor of social science education in the College of Education’s
Department of Teaching and Learning. His research interests are centered on how social
studies teachers serve as curricular-instructional gatekeepers, and he has investigated
this topic through observational studies of classroom curriculum enactment, historical
investigations of instructional programs, and reviews of research on classrooms. His
current research centers on curricular integration of geography in American history
courses.
Throughout his career, Dr. Thornton has published more than 100 scholarly articles
and chapters. His publications include the award-winning “Teaching Social Studies That Matters,” five editions of “The Curriculum Studies Reader,” two editions of “Teaching Social Studies to English Language Learners” and “Gateway to Social Studies.”
Dr. Thornton will be honored at the 98th Annual Conference of the National Council
for the Social Studies in November.