Division of Social Sciences & History
The Social Studies Education program provides students with the opportunity to pursue challenging studies in education to prepare them for careers as teachers. Delta State University offers two degrees in Social Studies Education. The Bachelor of Science in Social Studies Education and the Masters of Education in Social Sciences.
Definition and Nature of the Work
Secondary school teachers instruct students in junior and senior high schools. They conduct classes in academic subjects, such as English and mathematics, or skills, such as mechanical drawing and woodworking. They start with the basics and add complexity to spur students’ imaginations and intellects and to prepare them for advanced education and jobs as adults.
Teachers also help their colleagues plan courses that use new methods and materials and organize extracurricular activities such as sports and social groups. They work as teams that include school administrators, school counselors, and school psychologists. Their work goes beyond the classroom to include parents, parent groups, and community and governmental agencies.
Junior high school teachers instruct students in the seventh to ninth grades, while high school teachers instruct the tenth to twelfth grades. In some school districts, junior high schools have been replaced by middle or intermediate schools, which start with the fifth grade.