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result in patterns that lead to the development of grounded theory in qualitative
research. Open coding allows data to be sorted, labeled, and identified into short
words or phrases, but axial coding allows for the comparison of categories. The
researchers used coding to identify key ideas from each writing sample and to make
conclusions about how social studies teachers approach controversial issues.

Findings
Governance and Race
Teachers wrote about governance, race, and other topics in their editorials, which
included a variety of controversial topics. For example, T5 wrote about the First
Amendment, and T7 discussed political polarization. Both these teachers wrote from
the perspective of governance and how they teach about it.

Figure 1

Controversial Topics Addressed by Teachers

Controversial
Topics

Governance Race Other Topics

Black Lives Flags Monuments College Gun Control Transgender
Matter Tuition

T5 raised a variety of issues about free speech and posed questions for the reader.
In a long tradition of newspaper articles in politics going back to before the American
Revolution, this participant examined the implications of the implementation of
democracy. T5 recognized that “many people are questioning if government is
restricting freedom of religion.” Of course, according to the Constitution, government
is neither to support nor inhibit religion. T5 realized that free speech does not exist
by itself without engaging with other rights. “Another topic that will certainly come
up this school year is the Black Lives Matter movement” (T5). The teacher realized
that students brought ideas into the school even if the teacher did not intend to work
with that idea on that particular day. Then T5 returned to his/her premise: “. . . the
most basic and understood right . . . is freedom of speech.” He/she summarized why
freedom of speech was a key right and described how students learned about free
speech. T5 then contended that guarding rights was the duty of each citizen.
The author of the essay on political polarization, T7 presented a very thoughtful
analysis of problems of teaching discussion of controversial issues in a divided
society. If people were talking past each other then they really were not engaged in
civic discourse.

50 The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin: International Journal for Professional Educators