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Research on Social Studies Teacher Education in the United States

Research on Social Studies Teacher Education in the United States. Sherry L. Field Arkansas Tech University. Pathways to Teacher Preparation.

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Research on Social Studies Teacher Education in the United States

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  1. Research on Social Studies Teacher Education in the United States Sherry L. Field Arkansas Tech University

  2. Pathways to Teacher Preparation • Traditional-university or college baccalaureate (in colleges of education, colleges of liberal arts, or collaborative programs) or a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree • Alternative Certification Programs (ACPs) • University-based • School district • Regional state-funded education service center • Community college • Privately-managed programs

  3. Social Studies Teacher Preparation-Traditional Pathway • Distinguished by organization of courses • Requirements for field work • How students assessed and by whom • The Social Studies Methods Course • Pedagogy • Theory • Practice

  4. Questions about the Social Studies Methods Course • What should be the depth versus breadth of methods taught? • How much emphasis should be given in this class to the needs of diverse learners? • How much time should be spent preparing preservice teachers to work with state-mandated assessments? • What emphasis should be placed in the methods course on developing a sufficient background in the social science disciplines?

  5. Other Ontological Considerations During the Course • What is the nature of knowledge? • Is knowledge transmitted by experts or is it constructed by each learner? • How does the course embrace social construction of knowledge and what opportunities will there be to see this in practice?

  6. Construction of the Course • What readings and assignments will be required for the course? • How much of an emphasis will be placed on the diverse needs of learners? • How will lesson plans be constructed and assessed? • What disciplinary emphases will be made?

  7. Issues Related to Social Studies Teacher Preparation • Integrated curriculum • Content coverage • Resources • Technology

  8. Integrated Curriculum • Decades-old concept to integrate social studies content with content from another subject area (Hinde, 2005) • Integration popular in primary grade classrooms, especially social studies with English-language arts • Problem arises in already-marginalized content when social studies goals and aims become secondary to the lessons (Alleman & Brophy, 1993) • Content integration can be done skillfully and successfully (Field & Bauml, upcoming; Field & Bauml, 2012; Bellows, Bauml, Field, & Ledbetter, 2012)

  9. Content Coverage • What curriculum should be taught? • Breadth vs. depth? • How are the NCSS and state social studies standards to be considered? Common Core State Standards? • What happens to content coverage when teaching in a high-stakes tested grade level?

  10. Resources for Teaching • Textbook • Ancillary materials • Digital resources: music, video, on-line • Primary and secondary sources • Literature • Community resources

  11. Social Studies Teacher Preparation: Three Universities • Arizona State University • The University of Georgia • The University of Texas at Austin

  12. Arizona State University

  13. ASU Students • White 61% • African American 5% • Hispanic 19% • Asian 6% • American Indian 2% • Other 7%

  14. SS Teacher Preparation Elementary (Grades 1-8) • Social Studies Methods course • Service Learning course • Junior year: 75 hours/semester in field (two placements) • Senior year residency (one year student teaching) • Supervision by School Site Coordinators/Mentor Teacher • Four performance assessments and eight walk-though assessments during the year

  15. SS Teacher Preparation Secondary (Grades 7-12) • Two Social Studies Methods courses • Junior year: 75 hours/semester in field (two placements) • Senior year residency (one year student teaching) • Supervision by Clinical Professors/Mentor Teachers • Four performance assessments each semester

  16. The University of Georgia

  17. UGA Students • White 76% • African American 7% • Asian 8% • Hispanic 4% • Other 5%

  18. UGA SS Teacher Preparation Elementary (Pre-K through Grade 5) • Social Studies Methods course • Semester two and three: short placements (two and four weeks) • One semester student teaching • Supervision by University Supervisor/Mentor Teacher • Approximately five to six assessments during student teaching

  19. UGA SS Teacher Preparation Secondary (Grades 6-12) • Social Studies Methods course, Social Studies Curriculum course, Social Studies seminar • Initial Field Placement and Senior Field Placement: short placements (three to four hours a week) • One semester student teaching • Supervision by University Supervisor/Mentor Teacher • Approximately three to four assessments during student teaching

  20. The University of Texas at Austin

  21. UT Students • White 50% • African American 5% • Hispanic 20% • Asian 18% • Other 7%

  22. UT SS Teacher Preparation Elementary (Pre-K through Grade 6) • Social Studies Methods course • ESL endorsement • Semester one: 12 hours/week • Semester two: 16 hours/week • Semester three: full semester student teaching • Supervision by University Facilitator/Mentor Teacher • Approximately six to seven assessments during student teaching

  23. UT SS Teacher Preparation Secondary (Grades 7-12) • Social Studies Methods course and Advanced Social Studies Methods seminar • Semester one: (10 hours elementary) • Semester two: (20 hours middle school) • Semester three: (45 hours high school) • Semester four: full semester student teaching • Supervision by University Facilitator/Mentor Teacher • Approximately five assessments during student teaching

  24. Comparison of Programs

  25. Comparison of Programs

  26. Role of Doctoral Students in Teacher Preparation • As valued employees of the university, they may: • Supervise student teachers • Teach methods courses • Lead seminars • Often conduct research related to social studies teacher education

  27. Research on SS Teacher Education • How student teachers make curricular decisions • How Latino student teachers understand and teach about citizenship • How a new learning program is implemented • How and why do preservice teachers use discussion in their classrooms • How do preservice teachers apply historical thinking skills in their classrooms • How do preservice teachers teach about controversial issues

  28. Research on SS Teacher Preparation • Castro, A.J., Field, S.L., Bauml, M. & Morowski, D. (2012). I want a multicultural classroom:” Preservice teachers’ perspectives on teaching social studies in a culturally diverse world. The Social Studies 103(3), 97-106. • Webeck, M.L., Field, S.L. & Salinas, C. (2004). Tell me more: Boundaries, expectations, challenges and possibilities for civic education in preservice methods of teaching courses. In Gregory E. Hamot, John J. Patrick, & Robert S. Leming (Eds.), Civic learning in teacher education: International perspectives on education for democracy in the preparation of teachers, Vol. 3 (pp. 147-166). Bloomington, IN: ERIC Clearinghouse for Social Studies. • Kohlmeier, J. & Saye, J. (2012). Justice or care? Ethical reasoning of preservice social studies teachers. Theory & Research in Social Education 40(4); 409-435.

  29. Conclusion Traditional SS teacher preparation programs vary across the country. Social studies methods courses vary in number required from 1-3. Field experiences range from 2 to 4 semesters and in amount of time required each semester; Student teaching ranges from 1 semester to 1 year. Number of assessments varies from program to program. Doctoral students play an important role in the preparation of social studies teachersand in research being generated on social studies teacher education.

  30. Future Questions to Consider Following the excellent work already being done by Japanese researchers, such as that of yourselves, other questions for consideration might be: • How do preservice teachers in Japan understand the social studies curriculum? • What methods and/or resources do preservice teachers in Japan use to teach the curriculum and for what purposes? • How do preservice teachers in Japan understand their roles to teach civic understanding and engagement? How are these roles enacted in the classroom? • How do preservice teachers in Japan learn about historical thinking and how to teach historical thinking? • What role does discourse play in the learning experiences of preservice teachers and in how they eventually teach? • How do preservice teachers in Japan learn about multicultural issues, and how do they teach about them?

  31. Thank you JERASS

  32. Thank You to My Collaborators • Dr. Kazuhiro Mizoguchi and Dr. Hiroko Taguchi: Investigation of elementary textbook content about the “other” • Dr. Kazuhiro Mizoguchi and Dr. Hiroko Taguchi: Future investigation planned on Japanese and U.S. children’s thinking about economics, geography, and government • Dr. Masato Ogawa: Investigations of middle grades history textbook content and elementary schooling in Japan

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