We need to talk about Modern Studies
Published: 16 March 2026
Commentary
Modern studies is unique to Scotland and has an intrinsic topicality – but how will the subject secure its place in the curriculum as global events move at a breakneck pace? Angela Curley (School of Education) takes a closer look at the future of the subject that may not be as reflective of the ‘real world’ as it once was.
Referred to since its conception in 1962 as a uniquely ‘Scottish curricular subject’, Modern Studies was described then as a subject whose content would be ‘useful for a man or woman to know as a background to current affairs’.
Present day, the subject is framed, not defined per se, within the curricular context as the ‘study of contemporary political and social issues in local, Scottish, United Kingdom and international contexts.’
The framing of the subjects’ content knowledge in the ‘real world’, enables students of Modern Studies to relate or enquire into local or global events. This educational ability to enquire, promotes collaborative learning and lays the foundations for critical thinking and problem solving. At a curricular level, all students in a Modern Studies classroomlive the four capacities which underpin the Scottish curriculum. Through effective class discussions, teachers build confidence enabling them to become successful learners and responsible citizens. In addition, verbal collaborative learning within Modern Studies generates excitement amongst a pre-voting or voting group and ignites the feeling that as they develop informed opinions they will be supported to be agents of societal change.
From a practitioner’s perspective, the broad curricular subject descriptor may appear a bit too vague, failing to communicate the intrinsic relevance of what the subject has to offer. This vagueness could provide a rationale as to why the subject is not always afforded curricular discreetness. Within some school timetables, Modern Studies is omitted from the Broad General Education (BGE, S1-3) or, taught as a transdisciplinary unit of work.
At an in-service teaching level, the subject, enables teacher agency through a flexible or non-prescriptive approach to course content, which is responsive to societal change and embraces culturally relevant pedagogical delivery. However, while this non-prescriptive nature illuminates the subjects’ regency, it also creates a duality of practice. Teachers of Modern Studies must ensure content knowledge and materials are relevant in a world where subject matter changes by the day, while meeting the expectations of the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE), therefore increasing professional workload.
A further duality of practice is the ‘friend or foe’ of social media. Up to date information on various platforms may generate pupil discussion, which scaffolds the learning experience and can enhance attainment. Yet virtual sources of information can bring ‘fake news’; and ways of thinking which are afforded to inaccuracies in types of knowledge, feeding into streams of conscious or unconscious bias. This form of engagement could require the delivery of a flipped teaching approach, where to mitigate misunderstandings, teachers need to pre-empt contemporary social issues with pre-planned discussions.
This shift in practice, generated by the virtual world, brings a new skills base in relation to the management and integration of artificial intelligence, and the reliability or validity of sources of information. A further shift is the new National Progression Awards (NPA’s) which are eating into Modern Studies subject content, and could impact the curricular relevance of the subject, particularly at BGE.
In the wider context, citizenship education may be embedded within CfE, but its home is within the Modern Studies learning outcomes. This ‘home’ differentiates Scotland from other global educational systems, where citizenship is broken across curricular domains. Citizenship education taught by Modern Studies subject specialists brings together key dimensions of procedural knowledge such as contemporary rights and responsibilities. It also enables cooperative learning with third sector providers, linking students to the world of work.
As we move forward in the Scottish Curriculum Improvement Cycle (CIC), do teachers of Modern Studies see their ‘subject’ in the curriculum, or do we see through curricular change a fragile subject area which is under threat? If the latter is the case, what support mechanisms are in place to ensure that we do not revert to being a ‘background to current affairs’? Can the answer be found in a more concise engagement with external curricular providers and more networked pocket communities of practice?
This article first appeared in Tes Magazine on 11March 2026.
First published: 16 March 2026