Proposing Core Practices for Social Studies Teacher Education: A Qualitative Content Analysis of Inquiry-Based Lessons

As states, school districts, and teachers continue to adopt the inquiry-based principles of the College, Career, and Civic (C3) Framework, social studies teacher education must engage in a concomitant instructional shift to focus its efforts on preparing inquiry-based educators. One possible approach is to organize social studies teacher education around core practices. In this study, I attempt to surface the core practices found in social studies classrooms through a qualitative content analysis of the lessons using the Inquiry Design Model (IDM), an instructional design process based on the elements of the C3 Framework. Seven core practices to organize social studies teacher education are proposed: (a) establishing social studies academic language, (b) helping students recognize the interdisciplinary nature of social studies phenomena, (c) using interpretive questions, (d) helping students organize inquiries, (e) connecting inquiries to students’ lives, (f) structuring opportunities for discussion, and (g) extending inquiry into the civic lives of students.

Teaching and talking about religion: strategies for teacher educators

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to outline arguments for addressing religion in social studies teacher education, including strategies teacher educators might use on how and why pre-service teachers should incorporate teaching about religion in their classes. Topics addressed are: issues surrounding pre-service teachers’ religious identities; teaching pre-service teachers about legal issues associated with religion in public school classrooms (e.g. teaching about religion vs teaching for religion, First Amendment rights and constraints); teacher education’s role in developing religious knowledge and the influence of religion in the disciplines that comprise the social studies; and an overview of strategies and resources that teacher educators can use with their pre-service teachers. Design/methodology/approach This paper provides a literature review and arguments for addressing religion in social studies teacher education. A lesson plan and resources for teacher educators are also provided. Findings Teaching and talking about religion can no longer be marginalized or ignored within social studies teacher education. Whether it be the importance of pre-service teachers’ religious identities, legal issues related to public schooling or the influence of religion across the social studies disciplines – religion matters to social studies teacher education. As the current social, political and cultural realities attest, the influence of religion appears to be more and more significant in our interconnected and interdependent world. Originality/value Religious literacy is a key part of civic competence and if social studies is viewed as a way to help prepare a more informed citizenry – and a way to teach and promote dialogue across difference – then social studies teacher educators must find a way to include religion in their courses. By doing so, teacher educators encourage pre-service teachers to examine how religious identity may influence their teaching, and also help develop religious literacy and an understanding of how religion is integral to the various social studies disciplines. Ultimately, this important and often ignored work in teacher education may foster cultural understandings that will lead to a more informed and respectful society.

Economics (Only) Now: the Temporal Limitations of Economics as Part of A Critical Social Studies Pedagogy

This study speaks to the limited literature on economics way that preservice teachers in an urban teaching program conceptualize the function of economics within social studies. Utilizing case study methods and a theoretical framework that intersects critical pedagogy as part of a broader, critical, social studies pedagogy. Specifically, it seeks to understand the pedagogical tenets of social analysis with the idea of a counter-hegemonic stance, the study offers insight into the role of economics as part of a broadly critical social studies teacher education program. The results indicate that preservice teachers’ purpose for teaching social studies and the function of economics were aligned in the mission to critically analyze society. However, preservice teachers’ purposes for social studies extended beyond the function of economics into the past, and informed active citizenship for future action. These results show that economics can be a significant part of a social studies education practice that seeks to analyze society, understand the past, and take action for a better future. Unfortunately, limited familiarity and content knowledge inhibit a broader application of the function of economics. Social studies teacher education must purposefully integrate economics content into the exploration of the past and a discussion of future action for justice in order to combat prevailing content knowledge issues in preservice teachers and to help them reconcile their purpose for teaching social studies through economics.