“We Don’t Talk About That in School”: Elementary Teacher Candidates’ Approaches to “Controversial Issues”

• In Event: Roundtable Session 13
  In Roundtable Session: Democratic Citizenship in Education Paper Discussion (Roundtable) Session

Abstract

This paper interprets teacher candidates’ conceptualization and articulation of their responsibilities toward teaching “controversial issues” in the elementary classroom. The research study involved senior-block, elementary preservice teachers at a large public Midwestern school of higher learning who were enrolled in either a traditional student teaching (TST) program or a professional development school (PDS) program. More specifically, through intentional coursework, candidates explored what were “controversial issues”, what “controversial issues” belong and don’t belong in the elementary classroom, how important is the teaching of “controversial issues” in the elementary classroom, and how comfortable they are at teaching “controversial issues” in the elementary classroom.

Authors

• Brian R. Horn, Illinois State University

• Thomas A. Lucey, Illinois State University