Professor Keith Barton has won the Jean Dresden Grambs Distinguished Career Research in the Social Studies Award from the National Council for the Social Studies. Barton was honored for his extensive, meritorious contributions to the body of knowledge on important issues in social studies education.

“I’ve tried over the course of the last 30 years to produce a body of empirical research and curriculum theory that can help move social studies forward and inform the work of teachers, teacher educators, and curriculum planners, both in the United States and internationally,” Barton said. “The National Council for the Social Studies is the primary academic and practitioner organization in the field, and much of my work has been presented there over the years, so I’m especially honored that they have honored my scholarship in this way.”

Throughout his career, Barton has emphasized educational goals and methods that are attuned to preparing students to become active participants in civic life. Whether investigating how children draw conclusions from historical evidence, understand conflicting historical narratives, consider how to take action on issues of human rights, or more recently to deliberate issues of justice and harmony, his focus has also been on helping students develop into people who aim to make the world a better place, and who have the knowledge to do so. 

His most recent work is a new book, co-authored with Li-Ching Ho of the University of Wisconsin-Madison: Curriculum for Justice and Harmony: Deliberation, Knowledge, and Action in Social and Civil Education: “In this book, we present a global vision of social and civic education, and we argue that schools must prepare young people to take action on issues of justice and harmony—societal ideals that are central to all communities. We draw from diverse philosophical and cultural traditions, as well as empirical research, to introduce curriculum principles designed to motivate and inform students’ thoughtful and compassionate deliberation of public issues,” Barton explained.