Margit McGuire, PhD

Biography

Margit E. McGuire CV

Dr. McGuire is a longtime faculty member in the College of Education and for many years was the Program Director for the Master in Teaching Program established in 1990. She has served as Presidents of the National Council for the Social Studies (1991-1992), Washington Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (1998-2000), and the Washington Civic Learning Council (2024-2026).

Her research focuses on elementary and middle school social studies pedagogy. Through this research, she has developed the Project-Based Storypath Program K-8 designed to integrate literacy and social studies into meaningful learning experiences centering student agency and identity in the learning process. Her research has has been grounded in classrooms in high needs schools. Building on this research, she has adapted the Storypath Program for preschools with an emphasis on cooperation and problem solving.

She routinely co-teaches in high needs schools in the Puget Sound Region. Recently she was invited to co-teach in Bessemer, Alabama expanding her teaching experiences to the Deep South.

Three awards she is most proud of include: Award for Excellence in Teacher Education, Washington State, 1991-1992; McGoldrick Award, 2008 (Awarded annually by the university president for distinguished teaching, commitment to students, and exemplifying the values of the Jesuit educational tradition); and 2015 Distinguished Alumnus for Yakima Valley Community College, Yakima, Washington.

Education

Ph.D. University of Oregon Curriculum and Instruction
M.Ed. Central Washington University Special education
B.A. Washington State University Elementary education
A.A. Yakima Valley Community College

Courses Taught

Dr. McGuire's primary teaching focus has been with preservice teachers teaching a wide range of topics from social studies methods, foundations of teaching, and culturally relevant teaching.

Publications

McGuire, M.E. & Stevahn, L. (in press). Developing civic agency in elementary andmiddle school students through presidential elections.Social Education.
Stevahn, L & McGuire, M.E. (2024). Storypath: How engaging civic action through music empowers voice and political thinking in elementary classrooms, [Manuscript submitted for publication]. Seattle University.
McGuire, M.E. (2024). Finding our way: Women’s stories of migration. In N. Keefer & J. Clabough (Eds.), Thematic Teaching of Women’s Rights Issues with Social Studies Trade Books. Lexington Books.
Stevahn, L., McGuire, M.E. & Pihl, K. (2022). Cooperative problem solving for environmental civic engagement: Exploring Storypath’s impact on young learners, International Journal of Educational Research, 116.
McGuire, M.E. & Stevahn, L. (2022). Fostering environmental stewardship: The Great Barrier Reef Storypath, Social Studies and the Young Learner, 35 (2), 18-25.
McGuire. M.E. (2020). The Japanese American Experience & World War II. Social Studies School Service.
McGuire, M. E., Stevahn, L. & Wennik Bronsther, S. (2020). What is education for? A response to "What kind of citizens do educators hope their students become? A Response to Storypath: A Powerful Tool for Engaging Children in Civic Learning.” Democracy and Education, 28(2), Article 10. https://democracyeducationjournal.org/home/vol28/iss2/10
McGuire, M.E., Stevahn, L. & Bronsther Wennik, S. (2019). Storypath: A powerful tool for engaging children in civic education, Democracy and Education. 27(2), Article 4. https://democracyeducationjournal.org/home/vol27/iss2/4