The Role of the Secondary Social Studies Curriculum in Developing Technological Literacy.

"Literacy" is a hot buzzword for schools today. This is evident from the number of "literacies" that are making claims on the traditional subject-matter territory of the pre-college curriculum. Typically, each subject area of the school is asked to play a role in the achievement of these "literacies." Such is the case with "technological literacy" and the social studies curriculum. Focusing on the secondary curriculum only, this paper examines whether social studies should play a role in the development of technological literacy, and whether social studies is equipped to play a role in the development of technological literacy, specifically at the secondary level. The former task requires the formulation of a defensible rationale for social studies becoming involved in such a literacy effort, given the fundamental purposes of social studies education. The latter requires the design of a curricular framework within which the social studies' role may be most effectively performed, consistent with the content and methods of social studies education at the secondary level. After describing this framework, the paper concludes that the development of technological literacy is consistent with the purposes of social studies education and that the framework proposed should sharpen students' awareness not only of current social impacts of science and technology but also of issues arising from now unforseen scientific achievements and new technologies. (AA)