Social Sciences Teaching: Curriculum, Methods and Cultural Heritage

T1: What are the Social Sciences (SSCC)?

The Social Sciences are a group of disciplines that study human beings in their social dimension. Their main objective is to understand how people live together, organize societies, create cultures, and establish social, political, and economic relations.

Social Sciences are considered an umbrella term, as they include different disciplines that analyze social reality from various perspectives. They focus on the relationship between the individual and society, not on the individual in isolation. It is important to distinguish Social Sciences from the Humanities, which focus on philosophical and artistic thought, and from Social Studies, an educational field that integrates content from different Social Sciences, especially in school contexts.

Although they study complex and changing realities, Social Sciences are scientific disciplines. They use systematic methods such as observation, hypothesis formulation, and data analysis, combining inductive and deductive reasoning. However, total objectivity is more difficult than in the Natural Sciences because the object of study is human behavior itself.

Social Sciences form an interrelated system of disciplines. Examples include:

• History
• Geography
• Sociology
• Anthropology
• Economics
• Political Science

Geography and History have a central role, as they allow the study of societies in space and time.

Finally, Social Sciences are essential in education because they help develop critical thinking, social awareness, and responsible citizenship, enabling students to understand the past, interpret the present, and act consciously in society.

Social Notions and Social Change: A Historical Approach

Social notions are the basic concepts that allow us to understand how human societies are organized and how they function. These notions include ideas such as society, culture, power, economy, institutions, family, or social roles. They help explain how people relate to one another and how social structures are created and maintained. However, these notions are not fixed or universal; they change according to historical contexts.

From a historical approach, Social Sciences emphasize that societies are not static, but dynamic and constantly evolving. Social change refers to the transformations that occur in social organization, values, relationships, and ways of life over time. These changes are influenced by historical processes such as economic development, technological progress, political transformations, and cultural interactions.

In early societies, social notions were closely linked to survival, tradition, and religion. With the development of agriculture, cities, and states, societies became more complex, and new social notions such as hierarchy, power, and property appeared. Later historical processes, such as industrialization and modernization, produced deep social changes, affecting work, family structures, social classes, and institutions.

A historical perspective allows us to analyze both continuity and change in social life. While some social notions remain over time, others are transformed or replaced. Understanding social notions and social changes from a historical approach helps explain present societies as the result of past processes and reinforces the idea that social reality is constructed and changeable.

T2: Planning Social Sciences Teaching

The teaching of Social Sciences has undergone significant changes over time, influenced by social, political, and educational transformations. Traditionally, Social Sciences were taught through a memorization-based approach, where students played a passive role and the teacher was the main transmitter of knowledge. Teaching focused mainly on the accumulation of factual information, especially in subjects such as Geography and History, with a strong emphasis on national identity and the repetition of historical events and data.

During the twentieth century, educational reforms began to introduce changes in the way Social Sciences were taught. In Spain, laws such as the Ley General de Educación (1970) promoted a broader understanding of Social Sciences, incorporating new social topics and valuing the influence of mass media and social contexts. Methodological innovations inspired by pedagogical theories, such as those of Piaget, encouraged a more active role for students and introduced interdisciplinary perspectives, moving away from purely descriptive and ideological content.

A major turning point came with the implementation of constructivist approaches, especially during the LOGSE period. Learning started to be understood as a process in which students actively construct knowledge through meaningful experiences. Concepts such as cross-curricular learning, attention to diversity, and continuous assessment became central. Social Sciences were integrated with Natural Sciences under the concept of "Conocimiento del Medio," reinforcing a global and contextualized view of reality.

In recent educational frameworks, the teaching of Social Sciences has shifted towards a competence-based model, promoted by laws such as LOE, LOMCE, and LOMLOE. This model emphasizes active methodologies, the use of ICTs, bilingual education, and the development of critical thinking. The focus is no longer on memorizing content, but on understanding social reality, participating in society, and applying knowledge to real-life situations. These changes reflect a modern conception of Social Sciences education aimed at forming responsible, critical, and socially engaged citizens.

Social Sciences in the Current Official Curriculum

In the current official curriculum, Social Sciences play a key role in the education of students, especially in Primary Education. The subject is designed to help learners understand social reality, develop civic values, and interpret the world in which they live. Social Sciences are no longer conceived as a set of isolated contents, but as an integrated area that combines knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values necessary for active citizenship.

One of the main characteristics of the current curriculum is its competence-based approach. Social Sciences contribute to the development of several key competences, such as social and civic competence, linguistic competence, digital competence, and learning to learn. The curriculum prioritizes the understanding and application of knowledge over memorization, encouraging students to analyze social phenomena, interpret historical processes, and understand geographical and cultural contexts.

Another important aspect of Social Sciences in the current curriculum is the global and interdisciplinary perspective. Contents are organized around relevant social issues, linking space, time, society, and culture. Geography and History maintain a central role, but they are integrated with other social disciplines to provide a holistic understanding of reality. In addition, the curriculum promotes values such as equality, sustainability, democratic participation, and respect for diversity.

Finally, the current official curriculum emphasizes active methodologies and continuous assessment. Teaching Social Sciences involves inquiry-based learning, project work, and the use of real-life contexts. Assessment is focused on competences and learning processes rather than on final exams alone. In this way, Social Sciences contribute to the formation of critical, responsible, and socially engaged citizens, prepared to participate actively in contemporary society.

Pedagogical Theories and Methodologies

The teaching of Social Sciences has evolved alongside changes in pedagogical theories. Traditionally, teaching was based on a transmissive and behaviorist model, in which the teacher played a central role and students were passive recipients of information. Learning focused mainly on memorization of contents, repetition of facts, and final exams. This approach did not promote understanding, critical thinking, or active participation, and knowledge was presented as something fixed and unquestionable.

With the development of modern educational theories, this traditional model was progressively replaced by constructivist approaches, especially influenced by authors such as Piaget. According to constructivism, learning is an active process in which students construct knowledge based on their previous experiences and ideas. In Social Sciences, this implies that students should analyze social realities, interpret historical and geographical processes, and build their own understanding, rather than simply memorizing information. In this context, the teacher becomes a guide who facilitates learning instead of being the only source of knowledge.

Constructivism is complemented by socio-constructivist theories, which emphasize the importance of social interaction in learning. From this perspective, knowledge is constructed through dialogue, cooperation, and shared experiences. Group work, discussion, and collaborative activities become essential methodological tools. This approach is especially relevant in Social Sciences, as learning about society requires interaction, reflection, and understanding of different points of view within a social and cultural context.

As a result of these pedagogical theories, active methodologies have gained importance in the teaching of Social Sciences. Methodologies such as Project-Based Learning, Problem-Based Learning, and cooperative learning place students at the center of the learning process and encourage autonomy, critical thinking, and social competences. The use of ICTs supports research and communication, while assessment becomes continuous and competence-based. Overall, current pedagogical theories and methodologies aim to promote meaningful learning connected to real social problems and democratic citizenship.

Didactic Materials and Resources

Didactic materials and resources play a fundamental role in the teaching of Social Sciences, as they mediate between knowledge and students' learning. In this subject, resources are especially important because Social Sciences deal with complex, abstract, and socially constructed realities. Didactic resources include not only physical materials, but also strategies, activities, and experiences that help students understand social phenomena and connect learning with real life.

According to the current pedagogical approach, didactic resources are understood in a broad sense. They include classroom materials such as textbooks, maps, images, graphs, or documents, as well as outdoor resources like museums, monuments, landscapes, or historical sites. Social activities, such as group work, visits, or community projects, are also considered important didactic resources. The value of a resource does not depend on the object itself, but on how it is used and the learning objectives it serves.

Didactic materials and resources fulfill multiple educational functions in Social Sciences. They facilitate understanding, promote motivation, encourage participation, and allow investigation and critical analysis. Through the use of varied resources, students can observe, compare, and interpret sources and build knowledge actively. Resources also help adapt teaching to different learning rhythms and styles, supporting inclusive education and attention to diversity.

Finally, the effective use of didactic materials requires careful planning by the teacher. Teachers must select resources according to curricular goals, students' characteristics, and the social context. In Social Sciences, the combination of traditional resources and innovative tools, including ICTs, contributes to meaningful learning. Properly used, didactic materials and resources enhance students' understanding of society and foster critical, reflective, and participatory learning.

T4: Concept and Theories of Culture

The concept of culture is one of the key elements in Social Sciences, as it helps explain how societies organize their ways of life, beliefs, and values. Culture can be understood as the set of meanings, practices, customs, norms, and values shared by a social group and transmitted from generation to generation. From this perspective, culture is not something innate, but a social and learned construction that allows individuals to interpret reality and feel part of a community.

Throughout history, different theories have tried to explain what culture is and how it works. One of the earliest and most influential definitions was proposed by Edward B. Tylor, who defined culture as a "complex whole" that includes knowledge, beliefs, art, morals, law, and customs acquired by humans as members of society. This definition represents a broad sense of culture, which is the one mainly used in Social Sciences, as it considers culture as a way of life shared by all people, not only by elites or artistic expressions.

Later approaches developed different theoretical perspectives to analyze culture. Symbolic theories of culture focus on meanings, beliefs, and symbols that shape a society's worldview. From this perspective, cultural expressions such as rituals, myths, art, or religious texts are important because of what they represent. Culture is understood as a system of symbols that gives meaning to human actions and social life.

In contrast, materialistic theories of culture explain cultural practices as responses to material, economic, and environmental conditions. According to this view, cultural beliefs and traditions often have a practical function related to survival, production, or social organization. Both symbolic and materialistic theories offer complementary explanations of culture, helping Social Sciences understand culture as a complex, dynamic, and historically constructed phenomenon.

Cultural Heritage

Cultural heritage refers to the set of material and immaterial elements inherited from the past that a society values, preserves, and transmits to future generations. It represents the legacy of a community and reflects its historical, social, and cultural development. Cultural heritage is not limited to old monuments or artistic works, but includes a wide range of expressions that help societies understand their identity and collective memory.

Cultural heritage can be classified into different types. On the one hand, there is tangible heritage, which includes physical elements that can be touched, such as monuments, archaeological sites, artworks, or historical documents. Tangible heritage can be movable or immovable. On the other hand, there is intangible heritage, which includes traditions, festivals, rituals, oral expressions, knowledge, and practices that form part of living culture. Both types are equally important for understanding the cultural richness of a society.

An essential idea in the study of cultural heritage is that heritage is the result of a selective process. Not all cultural expressions become heritage; only those considered valuable according to social, historical, artistic, or identity criteria are preserved. These criteria are influenced by historical context, social values, political decisions, and educational interests. Therefore, cultural heritage is not fixed, but dynamic and subject to change over time.

Finally, cultural heritage plays a fundamental role in education and citizenship. Through heritage education, individuals learn to value, respect, and protect cultural assets, developing a sense of belonging and responsibility towards their community. Cultural heritage also promotes intercultural understanding and respect for diversity, helping societies connect past, present, and future in a meaningful way.