This study applied adult education theory to the development, implementation, and evaluation of a professional development program for textbook developers in Cambodia’s Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport. In particular, it sought to improve the design of professional development programs in social studies. Using andragogy as a theoretical basis, a three-year program was developed that enabled participants to autonomously construct meaning as professionals. Also, using experiential learning theory as a theoretical basis, an annual program was developed to provide knowledge and skills in textbook development. Four textbook developers who were core participants in the 2018 program were then selected and interviewed, and their output was analyzed.

　　An analysis of the learners’ project experiences confirmed the diversity of constructed meanings among the learners. The andragogic learning process allowed learners to learn autonomously in pursuit of self-actualization, as the project employed appropriate assessment techniques and showed respect for learners’ needs and concerns. Also, analysis of the model textbooks produced showed that learners were able to apply and reproduce the knowledge and skills they had acquired in the program. Learners acquired knowledge and skills pertinent to textbook development through the “abstract conceptualization” of experiential learning theory. They were then able to conduct “active experimentation” to re-contextualize this learning on the job in Cambodia.

　　Professional development programs in social studies should be rooted in adult education theory and should be inclusive of learners with diverse needs. They should also be structured to harmonize the vision of social studies with the self-actualization of professionals, based on the principle of congruence. This study suggests that research to improve social studies education should focus not only on children but also on adults, and not only on lessons but also on professional development programs.

　　In recent years, teaching controversial issues has attracted considerable attention in social studies as an effective tool to train the keepers of a democratic society. However, a recent national survey by Japan’s MEXT revealed that few high schools conduct “discussion activities on real political events.” Why are so many teachers avoiding controversial issues? In light of this problem, a survey and analysis were undertaken to answer the following question: What factors cause teachers to avoid controversial issues? Specifically, based on previous studies, a questionnaire was prepared that asked respondents about existing practices, attitudes, and perceptions of teachers in relation to teaching controversial issues. This was then distributed to all high schools and secondary education schools in the Kyushu and Chugoku-Shikoku regions of Japan.

　　Intergroup comparison, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis were then conducted on the response data from 348 civics teachers. This process revealed the following three main points: (1) While many teachers talk about controversial issues in class, others avoid such issues or do not allow their students to discuss them. (2) Teachers generally seek to maintain political neutrality by presenting a variety of views or by refraining from asserting their own views. This choice reflects teachers’ own judgments rather than a request from MEXT. (3) Many teachers are aware of the potential benefits of studying controversial issues but tend to avoid teaching them because they find them too difficult to handle. In other words, teachers avoid controversial issues due to their low self-efficacy in handling such matters. While it should be noted that this case study covered only a limited area, the results suggest the need for teacher education to improve self-efficacy.

　　This study seeks to investigate the reality of actual classroom research on the New Social Studies (NSS) and the evaluations by researchers of the period. It also seeks to demonstrate the possible emergence of qualitative classroom research in the NSS era. This in turn necessitates a re-examination of social studies education research in the United States during this period, focusing on classroom research and its methodology. The gap between theory and practice has been identified as a problem in the NSS. However, previous studies in Japan have not focused on the practice of the time or classroom research by researchers. This paper presents a case study of Elliott Seif’s research, conducted as part of the Washington University Elementary Social Science Project.

　　This study reveals the following points. In the NSS era, theories of social studies based on academic and social demands were created from “outside the classroom” as has been focused on in the past. Conversely, the theory of practice and its research methodology was constructed from “inside the classroom” through qualitative research based on classroom practice. For his part, Seif engaged in qualitative research on teaching of thinking about clarifying social and ethical controversies. Thus, concepts and hypotheses were generated that reflected the complexity of the classroom situation, including the practical judgments of teachers and the values that children bring to the classroom. This gave rise to a theory that reflected the complexity of the classroom situation and took into account teachers’ practical decisions. In addition, Seif’s research was recognized by American researchers at the time as a pioneering study that introduced qualitative research methodology to research on teaching social studies. The NSS can thus be said to have incorporated inherent theories of practice and methodologies of qualitative classroom research that could overcome the “gap between theory and practice.” This possibility deserves reevaluation. This study demonstrates that qualitative research in the social studies classroom may have emerged in the NSS era of the 1960s and 1970s. This in turn necessitates a re-examination of social studies education research in the United States during this period, focusing on actual classroom research and its methodology.