Reinventing Master’s Degree Study for Experienced Social Studies Teachers

To improve social studies teaching and learning, teachers must engage in quality professional development experiences to deepen their pedagogical content knowledge. This article describes a Master of Education for Experienced Teachers (M.Ed.) program that reconcepulatized graduate study for teachers, using Alan Tom’s (1999) markers for reform — ongoing self-improvement, a commitment to working together collegially, and a focus on student learning. We describe each of the markers and the experiences of the social studies cohort enrolled in this program. We hope that by sharing our efforts to revitalize graduate study for social studies teachers, we will stimulate continued, thoughtful reflection and discourse.