Teachers say it is important to educate their students on the struggles of Indigenous people related to Thanksgiving Day, yet few students would give themselves an “A” in the subject
Mountain View, Calif. — Nov. 20, 2020 —Teachers are incorporating the perspective of Indigenous people in their lessons on Thanksgiving Day. But parents, teachers and even K-12 learners aren’t confident in students’ understanding of the history, according to a new survey from Study.com.
A snapshot of the Study.com’s survey findings shows:
Teachers and parents agree that schools have a responsibility to educate students about Thanksgiving traditions and activities.
- 76% of K-12 teachers say they themselves are responsible for teaching their students about Thanksgiving Day traditions and activities
- 66% of parents agree schools have the responsibility to teach their child about these traditions and activities
Students, parents and teachers all agree on the importance of educating students about the history of Thanksgiving.
- 59% of K-12 teachers say it is very important to teach about the struggles of Indigenous people related to Thanksgiving—and an additional 30% of K-12 teachers agree that this is important
- 76% of parents and 74% of students in grades K-12 also agree this history is very important
And teachers are including the perspective of Indigenous people in their lessons.
- 87% of K-12 teachers say they include the perspective of both Pilgrims and Indigenous people when they teach about Thanksgiving
- 74% of students K-12 say they’ve learned why certain Thanksgiving traditions and activities sustain harmful stereotypes about Indigenous people
But students don’t feel confident in their level of understanding of Thanksgiving history.
- Only 20% of students give themselves an “A” for their understanding of Thanksgiving traditions and activities that sustain harmful stereotypes about Indigenous people
- 20% of K-12 teachers and 25% of parents would give their students an “A” on their understanding of Thanksgiving traditions and activities
Study.com provides online education resources for teachers to use when teaching the history of Thanksgiving Day. Access the resources here.
Study.com Survey Says is a monthly research project conducted by Study.com to provide regular snapshots of teachers, parents and students’ perspectives on the world of learning. Study.com conducted this Thanksgiving Day survey with 206 K-12 teachers, 203 K-12 students and 157 parents from October 26 - 29, 2020.
About Study.com
Study.com is a leading online education platform helping learners of all ages excel academically and close skills gaps. Study.com’s online courses, short animated video lessons, and study tools make learning simple for over 30 million students, teachers, and working professionals. Study.com was founded in 2002 and is a privately held company located in Mountain View, Calif. Learn more at http://www.study.com or download the mobile app from the iOS app store or Google Play.
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