Personal views and political leanings can influence a teacher’s perception of news source credibility, according to a study of more than 1,000 high school social studies teachers across six states.

The study, coauthored by Northeastern State University’s Christopher Clark and the University of Georgia’s Mardi Schmeichel, also found that a teacher’s operational definition of credibility can influence how they perceive various news sources.

Clark and Schmeichel join CPRE Knowledge Hub managing editor Keith Heumiller to discuss their findings and offer some evidence-backed strategies for teachers – and students – across the country.

Featured Research: Clark, Christopher H., Mardi Schmeichel, and H. James Garrett. “Social Studies Teacher Perceptions of News Source Credibility.” Educational Researcher 49, no. 4 (May 2020): 262–72.