Concept & Nature of SST Pedagogy

Paper 2 of the CTET test includes a section called Social Science, which contains 60 questions. Each question is worth one mark. As a result, the entire segment is worth 60 marks. As a result, CTET Social Science notes are extremely important for CTET aspirants.

The CTET Social Science syllabus structure is as follows:

(a) There will be 40 questions drawn from history, geography, social and political life.

(b) Twenty questions will be drawn from pedagogical topics.

Social Studies is concerned with man, his relationships with other men, and his environment; its material is derived from various social sciences. It is a field of study that includes anthropology, history, geography, economics, political science, sociology, law, civics, and other subjects.

As defined by the National Council for Social Studies, Social Studies is the integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to improve civic competency.

Nature of Social Science

The nature of social sciences can be summarised as follows: 

1. The social sciences are primarily concerned with human interactions. The ultimate purpose of all social sciences is to explore the nature of human society. 
2. Social sciences largely examine social issues, which are always more complex, subjective, and less provable than physical science topics. 
3. An area or field of knowledge comprises several social sciences such as history, economics, sociology, anthropology, etc. Furthermore, this area or field of knowledge differs functionally from other areas or fields of knowledge, such as languages, mathematics, general sciences, and so on. 
4. The social sciences have unique content areas and techniques for approaching and comprehending information. Historical, thematic, participatory, non-coercive, quasi-experimental, and other methodologies are commonly employed in social sciences to interpret knowledge. 
5. A key concept of social sciences concerns value attainment. As a result, social scientists are always concerned with the goodness or value of everything they obtain or deal with. 
6. The social sciences are generally multidisciplinary. A social science concept or topic may not be confined to one discipline of social sciences; rather, the concept or issue may be understood by considering the viewpoints of all disciplines of social sciences.

Aims & Objectives of Teaching Social Sciences 

 Students study social sciences at school to achieve the following major goals: 

1. To be responsible and active citizens. 
2. To comprehend the society in which they live, including its social, economic, political, and geographical aspects, among many others. 
3. To comprehend the social, cultural, and economic factors and processes that influence society regularly. 
4. To investigate, judge, and condemn the social structure to improve and change it. 
5. To comprehend the values established in the constitution in the context of transforming the country into a secular, socialist, democratic, and republican entity. 
6. To value their own culture, traditions, and value system. 
7. To understand and appreciate the various cultures and traditions that exist and are practised in society. 
8. To become engaged and involved members of society. 
9. To work towards the benefit and harmony of society.

Nature of different disciplines of social sciences

History comprises various events that occurred in various places in various eras. At this stage, students mostly learn history to familiarise themselves with present Indian history and key developments in other regions.

Geography: Geography is concerned with various place and space-related topics such as the environment, atmosphere, resources, nature, temperature, transportation, and communication, among others. At this stage, students primarily learn geography to familiarise themselves with the natural, economic, and developmental geography of India and the world.

Political Science concerns the contents of democracy, authority, governance, and so on of individuals in society/state. At this stage, political science education primarily introduces students to democratic values, focusing on values outlined in the Indian constitution.

Economics covers topics related to production, consumption, distribution, marketing, and the exchange of goods and services. At this stage, learners are taught economics to make them aware of the functions of various economic institutions and how economic disparity persists in the country due to the failure of economic institutions.

Relation of Social Science with other disciplines

Let us analyse the relationship between social sciences and other disciplines taught in schools. 

Language and literature: Social sciences majorly deal with people and their social activities. Language is the communication and expression of men and women through symbols and sound; literature is the expression of men’s and women’s feelings, emotions, imagination, and so on through language. 

Language and literature skills and abilities do not develop in a vacuum. The social sciences provide a wealth of content for developing language and literature skills and talents.

Science: Sciences (or broad sciences) enable systematic and objective examination of a phenomenon/problem. Sciences have several interventions to scientifically and systematically analyse societal concerns or social phenomena. Here are some examples in this regard. The scientific approach aids in objectively analysing various past social events such as causes of famine, causes of revolution or public unrest, and so on. 

Mathematics is known as computational science. It refers to the number system and its numerous functions. Every individual needs mathematical literacy as well as the judicious application of mathematical processes to function effectively in society. 

Mathematics is essential to comprehend social science topics such as budget, price list, money, expenditure, income, taxes, interest, saving, stocks, time, temperature, latitude, longitude, altitude, voting procedure, and so on. Similarly, examples of social 17 scientific topics might be considered in learning mathematics.

Check the various Mathematics teaching methods at the linked article.

Arts: To a large extent, the character, functioning, progress, and success of a civilization are reflected in its art and aesthetics-related activities such as painting, architecture, music, and so on. Sanchi Stupa, Taj Mahal, Konark temple, Elephant caves, and other works of art and architecture reflect the richness of Indian history and culture.

 A society’s lifestyle and history are reflected in its art and architecture, which are part of its cultural heritage. As a result, art and aesthetics are important parts of society that are examined in social sciences.

Health Education: An individual’s health plays an important part in the development of a society or social system. Health, like education and income, is an important factor in the growth of a society or nation. As a result, health is regarded as a determinant of human development thus, Social science covers health-related topics such as balanced food, safety and first aid, healthy environment, health mission, and so on. 

Approaches to Teaching Social Sciences

Below are some key approaches to teaching social sciences. This is an important part of the question in the CTET question paper.

Disciplinary approach: Until the twentieth century, the disciplinary approach was the dominant approach to curriculum design and instruction. This is a classic strategy that focuses on knowledge that is easily defined and measurable.

This strategy entails students learning several disciplines that are independent and separate from one another; specialised teachers teaching disciplines based on their specialisation; and assessment techniques that are discipline-specific in nature. This approach is based on the notion that disciplines are created to establish order in a complicated environment, and they give students the necessary specialised knowledge to respond to that complexity.

Interdisciplinary: An interdisciplinary approach to teaching differs from a traditional approach to teaching, such as a disciplinary approach to teaching, in many respects. The interdisciplinary method aids in integrating knowledge from several fields by utilising a true synthesis process. This technique attempts to produce a comprehensive understanding by combining knowledge from several areas. This method makes bridging traditional boundaries across academic fields or schools of thinking easier to develop integrated knowledge.

This approach holds that knowledge is a single entity that cannot be split into different disciplines in the same way that water is divided into multiple disciplines; the division of knowledge into different disciplines is not absolute, and there is ongoing interaction among the disciplines. As a result, this technique makes it easier to integrate knowledge from two or more fields simultaneously.

Multi-disciplinary: A multi-disciplinary approach provides for the definition and/or comprehension of a subject from the perspectives of various disciplines. A multidisciplinary approach to comprehending a case or topic draws on perspectives from other disciplines, each with its own distinct character. This method entails solving an issue individually by distinct professions.

People from various disciplines collaborate on a specific topic in a multidisciplinary approach, however the approach varies from discipline to discipline based on the nature of the fields. 

Thematic: A thematic approach to teaching is one in which the entire teaching process revolves around a ‘theme’. A theme is an interesting topic that unites the various educational learning areas or subjects. As a result, thematic approaches begin with the identification of a common subject and allow for the structuring or organisation of content from other disciplines based on it.

The topic serves as a focal point for combining objectives and teaching-learning activities from many subject areas across a grade level. It integrates and meaningfully integrates the teaching-learning process. To make this approach meaningful, instructors, learners, and other resource individuals typically working at a specific grade level interact among themselves to identify a common or central topic and to construct educational assignments of various subject areas based on the theme.

Inductive and deductive reasoning: Inductive and deductive techniques to information acquisition are scientific approaches. Inductive and deductive techniques to teaching learning are two competing but complimentary approaches. While the inductive technique aids in the development of theory or formulas from instances, the deductive approach aids in the solution of issues based on some given theory or formula.

In the inductive technique, one moves from specific instances to general principles or conclusions, whereas the deductive approach moves from general principles or conclusions to specific instances. In induction, one studies a number of examples relevant to a certain task, identifies commonalities and/or differences between the examples, and derives the general principle(s) about the task from the examples.

A general principle or formula relating to a specific activity is provided in deduction. One must solve a problem or a set of problems related to the task using the general principle or formula. 

Constructivist: Constructivism is a learner-centered and contextual approach to teaching and learning. According to this method, learning occurs in a social setting, and a kid should be given as much freedom as possible to develop his or her knowledge in that environment.

This method contradicts the behaviourist approach to teaching and learning. Learning is viewed as the acquisition and accumulation of finite sets of abilities and facts in the behaviourist approach. Students are told about the world and then asked to recreate it in a desirable circumstance in a behaviourist approach to learning.

The constructivist approach, on the other hand, emphasises that learning is quite individualised and takes meaningful shape in the environment itself. As a result, the learner creates his or her own knowledge in the context of his or her immediate surroundings.

Similarities between Social studies and Social Sciences:

Social Science and Social Studies are not simply generically connected. They also have a lot of stuff in common.

Both are tied to society and have the same goals and purposes. Both emphasise instilling positive values in humans such as truthfulness, sincerity, and so on. Both assist in understanding and utilising the many components of society.

Both must be accurate and reliable in order to be useful.

Difference between Social Studies and Social Science

1. The focus and emphasis of both are different: When a student studies geography as a social science, he must concentrate on geography methodologies, tools, and concepts, among other things. While studying geography as a social studies subject, he should concentrate on using geographical ideas and concepts to comprehend man, how his efforts to control his environment have resulted in a better life, how various geographical variables influence his life, and so on.
2. The social sciences are an adult approach, whereas the social studies are a kid approach: Social sciences will be taught in high school and college. Social studies are condensed versions of social sciences that are taught at the primary level.
3. Social sciences are the theory component of human affairs; social studies are the practise component: The social sciences are vast collections of organised and authentic knowledge about human affairs. While social studies provides information on numerous aspects of man and society.
4. The social sciences are significantly more comprehensive than the social studies: The goal of the social sciences is to discover new truths about human connections; the goal of the social studies is to lead teenagers in their study of selected portions of what the social sciences have discovered.
5. In social sciences, the major object is social usefulness; in social studies, the key object is instructional utility.
6. Social sciences are a branch of cultural knowledge that has a direct impact on man’s activities in any subject. Social studies provide a learning environment and insight into all knowledge.

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