Social Studies Subjects Between Integration and Separation: A Quantitative Curriculum Analysis

Abstract

The social studies subject area (Gesellschaftswissenschaften) in Germany is structured heterogeneously across the country. The present study is the first to systematically examine all 167 curricula of the mandatory social studies subjects in lower secondary education using a quantitative Seeded Topic Analysis. The findings reveal the disciplinary focus of the monodisciplinary subjects, room for interdisciplinarity in competency statements, and confirms the heterogeneity of the subject area across school types and regions. Given the absence of nationwide education standards, the study contributes empirical evidence to the education-policy debate at the national level.