Brittany Jones (she/her)

Broadly, my research focuses on anti-racist social studies education, with an emphasis on how the intersection of race and emotions shapes the teaching and learning of history, as well as expansive notions of civic education. Using critical discourse approaches, my work also explores how emotions are represented in social studies curricula and how discursive labels inform social studies research and practice.

• Doctor of Philosophy, Curriculum, Instruction & Teacher Education, Michigan State University, Education (2023)
• Master of Teaching, Secondary Social Studies/History Education, Virginia Commonwealth University, Education (2016)
• Master of Arts, African American History, Virginia Commonwealth University, History (2014)
• Bachelor of Arts, History, Longwood University, History (2011)

• 2024 National Council for the Social Studies Larry Metcalf Exemplary Dissertation Award; National Council for the Social Studies; 2024-11-21;
• Outstanding Dissertation Award; American Educational Research Association (AERA) Division K; 2024-04-13;
• Exemplary Research Award; National Council for the Social Studies; 2023-11-30;
• Outstanding Graduate Student Paper Award; American Educational Research Association; 2022-04-08;

• Jones, B.L. & Edmondson, K. (2025). What is the word “difficult” doing in social studies research?: A systematic literature review of empirical research on difficult histories in social studies research, 2004–2022. Theory and Research in Social Studies Education. Advanced Online Publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/00933104.2024.2430782
• Jones, B.L. (2025). “They fear us knowing too much”: a composite counterstory on black caregivers’ feelings toward teaching race and black history. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education. Advanced Online Publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/09518398.2025.2470931
• Jones, B.L. (2024). Critically analyzing historical sources for racialized emotions (CARE). Social Education.
• Jones, B., & Berends, J. (2023). Enacting antiracist pedagogy: An analysis of LeBron James and Doc Rivers’s antiracist discourse. Equity & Excellence in Education, 56(3), 434-449.
• Jones, B. L. (2022). Feeling fear as power and oppression: An examination of Black and white fear in Virginia’s US history standards and curriculum framework. Theory & Research in Social Education, 50(3), 431-463.

• Jones, B.L. (2023, November). Whose fear matters?: An examination of fear in Virginia’s U.S. History Standards. National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Annual Conference;
• Jones, B.L. (2023, October 31). How to Teach History Using Racialized Emotions. New York Council for the Social Studies;

• Jones, B.L. & Edmondson, K. (2024, April 11-14). A systematic literature review on difficult histories in social studies education, 2004–2022 [Paper Presentation]. American Educational Research Association, Philadelphia, PA, United States.;
• Jones, B.L. (2024, April 11-14). “We always on ready”: How Black students’ discourse and affect challenge the ‘difficult’ history label [Paper Presentation]. American Educational Research Association, Philadelphia, PA, United States.;

• American Educational Research Association Teaching History Sig Program Chair
  04/01/2024-04/01/2025
• College and Faculty Association (CUFA) Program Chair
  12/01/2023-12/01/2024

• Associate Editor; Theory & Research in Social Education
  07/01/2025-07/01/2027