Section I: Foundations of social studies research: -- A concise historiography of the social studies / Stephen J. Thornton -- The intellectual history of the social studies / Thomas Fallace -- Quantitative research and large-scale secondary analysis in social studies / Paul G. Fitchett and Tina L. Heafner -- Qualitative inquiry in social studies research / Todd Dinkelman and Alexander Cuenca -- Practitioner research in the social studies: findings from action research and self-study / Meghan McGlinn Manfra -- Exemplars from the field of social studies education research / Patricia G. Avery and Keith C. Barton.

Section II: Frameworks guiding social studies research: -- Critical theory(s) / Catherine Cornbleth -- A critical race theory analysis of social studies research, theory and practice / Oscar Navarro and Tyrone C. Howard -- Gender and feminist scholarship in social studies research: a dynamic theoretical framework living on the edges / Chara Haeussler Bohan -- Sexuality and queer theory in the social studies /J.B. Mayo, Jr. -- Social constructivism and student learning in social studies / Stephanie van Hover and David Hicks -- 13 Democratic citizenship education: research across multiple landscapes and contexts / Antonio J. Castro and Ryan T. Knowles.

Section III: Teaching and learning social studies: -- Teaching and learning about controversial issues and topics in the social studies: a review of the research / Li-Ching Ho, Paula McAvoy, Diana Hess, and Brian Gibbs -- Disciplined inquiry in social studies classrooms /John W. Saye -- Becoming an "expert" social studies teacher: what we know about teacher education and professional development / Margaret Smith Crocco and Ellen Livingston -- Children's learning and understanding in their social world / Anne-Lise Halvorsen -- Leveraging literacy: research on critical reading in the social studies / Ilene R. Berson, Michael J. Berson, Danielle V. Dennis, and Rebecca Lovering Powell -- Emergent bilinguals in the social studies / Cinthia S. Salinas, Noreen Naseem Rodriguez, and Brooke Blevins -- The problem of knowing what students know: classroom-based and large-scale assessment in social studies / S.G. Grant -- Media and social studies education / Jeremy D. Stoddard and Alan S. Marcus -- The diffusion of technology into the social studies / Cheryl Mason Bolick -- Global education / David L. Grossman -- Social studies scholarship past, present, and future / Carole L. Hahn.