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Photo of Kaylene Petrin Stevens

Kaylene Petrin Stevens

Program Director, Social Studies Education
Clinical Assistant Professor

  • Office WED 714
  • Email kaylenes@bu.edu
  • Program Social Studies Education

Dr. Kaylene Stevens is the program director and a clinical assistant professor for social studies education at Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development. Her research interests lie in how to best include marginalized groups in the social studies classroom and curricula as well as how to lift up the voices of teachers. She is a faculty affiliate with Boston University’s Center for Antiracist Research.

Before her work at Boston University, Dr. Stevens was a public school teacher and department head. She has several publications on gender-equitable and race-conscious teaching in the social studies classroom. Her work has been featured in the Journal of Social Studies Research and Theory & Research in Social Education. She coauthored the book Teaching History for Justice: Centering Activism in Students’ Study of the Past.

Recent News

  • Study Explores Impact of Massachusetts Social Studies Materials
  • Educators, You Can Lead the Charge for Change
  • BU Wheelock Welcomes New Faculty Members

In the Media

  • POV: New Laws Threaten Educators Who Teach History
  • New Laws Threaten Educators Who Teach History. Where Does That Leave Our Democracy?
  • How to Raise a Generation of Better Citizens

Education

EdD, Curriculum & Instruction, Boston University

MAT, Social Studies, Union University

BA, Sociology & Communication, Hamilton College

Courses

SO 571: Curriculum and Special Methods for History and Social Science 5-12

CH 300/515:Methods of Instruction: Elementary 1-6

ED 205: Designing Learning Experiences

RS 600: Introduction to Research

SO 574: Pre-Practicum in Secondary Schools

SO 566: Developing Historical Literacy, 5-12

ED 473: Field Experience Social Studies CT

750: Basic Principles of Curriculum & Teaching RS 630: Research for Equity

Research

View Dr. Stevens' citations on Google Scholar.

Selected Publications

Books

Martell, C. C. & Stevens, K. M. (2020). Thinking Like an Activist in the History Classroom. Social Education. 335-341

Book chapters

Martell, C. C. & Stevens, K. M. (2022). Learning to teach history for justice: Racial literacies and teacher education. In L. J. King (Ed.), The problem of the colorline: Social studies education and racial literacy. Teachers College Press

Articles

Martell, C. C. & Stevens, K. M (2023). Teaching Movements in History: Understanding Collective Action, Intersectionality, and Justice in the Past. The History Teacher.

Martell, C. C. & Stevens, K. M. (2022). Thinking Like an Activist in the History Classroom. Social Education.

Stevens, K.M. & Martell, C.C. (2021). Five Years Later: How the 2016 Election Impacted Feminist Social Studies Teachers. Theory & Research in Social Education.

Martell, C. C., & Stevens, K. M. (2020). Teaching History for Justice: Centering Activism in Students' Study of the Past. Teachers College Press.

Martell, C.C. & Stevens, K.M. (2019). Culturally sustaining social studies teachers: Understanding models of practice. Teaching and Teacher Education Volume 86.

Stevens, K.M. & Martell, C.C. (2019). Feminist social studies teachers: The role of teachers’ background and beliefs in shaping gender-equitable practices. The Journal of Social Studies Research.

Martell, C.C. & Stevens K.M. (2018). Becoming a Race-Conscious Social Studies Teacher: The Influence of Personal and Professional Experiences. The Social Studies.

Martell, C.C. & Stevens K.M. (2018). Perception of Teaching Race and Gender: Results of a Survey of Social Studies Teachers. High School Journal.

Martell, C.C. & Stevens K.M. (2017). Equity- and Tolerance-Oriented Teachers: Approaches to Teaching Race in the Social Studies Classroom. Theory & Research In Social Education, Vol. 0, Iss. 0,0.

Stevens, K. M., & Martell, C. C. (2016). An Avenue for Challenging Sexism: Examining the High School Sociology Classroom. JSSE-Journal of Social Science Education, 15(1), 63-73.

Selected Presentations

Stevens & Martell (November 2022). College & University Faculty Assembly of the National Council for the Social Studies, Book Talk: Teaching History for Justice.

Stevens & Martell (September 2022) New York Historical Society, Rethinking American Feminism, 1948-1977. Teaching History for Justice: Building classrooms around activist thinking.

Stevens, K. (November 2021) Boston University Wheelock College of Education and Human Development, Curiosity & Learning Conference.

Stevens, K. & Martell, C. (April 2021) Boston University Wheelock College of Education and Human Development, Teaching History for Justice Webinar.

Martell C. & Stevens, K. (April 2021) Social Studies Collaborative CCSSO Social Studies Webinar Teaching History for Justice: Centering Activism in Students' Study of the Past.

Stevens, K. & Martell, C. (March 2021) Social Science Education Consortium, Women As Activists: How, Where, and Why We Act SSEC Webinar.

Martell, C. & Stevens, K. (February 2021) Social Studies Reads Twitter Talk, Teaching History for Justice.

Martell C. & Stevens, K. (October 2020) Lincoln Public, Professional Development Teaching Teachers How to Teach Social Activism.

Stevens, K. & Martel,l C. (April 2020) American Education Research Association (AERA), Feminists’ teachers’ evolution towards gender equity in an uncertain age.

Stevens, K & Martell, C. (April 2016) American Education Research Association (AERA), Gender Equity in Social Studies: An Analysis of Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices.

Martell, C. & Stevens, K. (April 2016) American Education Research Association (AERA), A Survey of Teachers' Perceptions of Race and Gender in Social Studies.

Martell, C. & Stevens, K. (April 2016) American Education Research Association (AERA), The Beliefs and Practices of Race-Conscious Social Studies Teachers.

Martell, C. & Stevens, K. ( November 2015) National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) College and University Faculty Assembly, The Personal and Professional Experiences of Race-Conscious Teachers.

Stevens, K. (November 2014) National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) College and University Faculty Assembly, A Unique Place: Teacher beliefs and Practices teaching gender in the Sociology classroom.

Stevens, K. (November 2014). National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) College and University Faculty Assembly, The decision of out: Understanding the decisions of disclosure for gay male teachers.

Martell, C. & Stevens, K. (November 2014) National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) College and University Faculty Assembly, Using Teacher Research in the Social Studies Classroom.

Stevens, K. (October 2014) Diversity Challenge: “Racial or Ethnic Discrimination across the Lifespan,” Boston College. Teaching Race in the classroom.

Stevens, K. (2014) Boston University, School of Education, Student Research Conference, Poster, A Unique Place: Teacher beliefs and practices teaching gender in the sociology classroom.

Stevens, K. (2013) Harvard Graduate School Education Student Research Conference, Through the Looking Glass: Truth and Context in Education Research, Teacher disclosure in the classroom.

Affiliations
Faculty
Research Interests
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Social Studies Education Teaching & Learning

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