Education

Doctor of Philosophy, Teaching & Learning, University of South Carolina, 2016

Master of Arts in Teaching, Secondary Social Studies, University of South Carolina, 2005

Bachelor of Arts, History, University of South Carolina, 1998

Biography

Jeff Eargle is a Clinical Assistant Professor in Secondary Humanities Education. At the University of South Carolina, Eargle teaches practicum-based courses related to teacher development and community engagement and supervises pre-service teachers in the field placements. In addition to an interested in social studies methods and curriculum, he studies teacher leadership. He is interested in how female social studies leaders lead within masculine contexts.

Eargle began his teaching career as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Poland, where he taught conversational English at a high school for economic studies. After earning an MAT in secondary social studies education, he taught at Mid-Carolina High School and Spring Hill High School. A National Board Certified Teacher, he taught all levels US history, world history, geography, and a course on the Holocaust. Eargle was recognized for his work in secondary schools as the Law-Related Education High School Teacher of the Year by the South Carolina Bar (2007), the South Carolina History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History (2010), the School District of Newberry County Teacher of the Year (2010-11), and as a South Carolina Honor Roll Teacher by the South Carolina Department of Education (2011-12).

Prior to joining the faculty at USC, Eargle was an Education Associate for K-12 Social Studies Education at the South Carolina Department of Education’s Office of Standards and Learning. In this role, he facilitated professional development and technical assistance for teachers, coordinated with various stakeholders across the state, served as an agency representative to national organizations, and oversaw the writing of social studies standards.

Selected Publications and/or Presentations

Eargle, J.C. (2016). The dominant narrative of slavery in South Carolina’s history standards. Journal of Social Studies Research, 40(4), 295-307.

Eargle, J.C. (2015, November). Perpetrator Language: The Holocaust in South Carolina’s Standards. Paper session at the Annual Conference of the College and University Faculty Association of the National Council for the Social Studies, New Orleans, LA.

Eargle, J.C. (2014, October). A Patchwork Practice: Social Studies Department Chairs as Instructional Leaders. Paper session presented at the Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Regional Association of Teacher Educators, Charleston, SC.

Eargle, J.C. (2013). ‘I am not a bystander’: Teacher leadership development through a rural school-university partnership. The Rural Educator, 35(1), 23-33.

Research/Areas of Expertise

Eargle’s research concentrates on teacher leadership, specifically among social studies teachers. His area of expertise is in social studies methods, curriculum, and standards.

Teaching

EDSE 302: Teachers and Teaching
EDSE 500: Equity and Community Engagement
EDSE 710: Developing as a Professional Educator