Learning From Its Leaders: Working Toward the Revitalization of Educational Foundations

• In Event: 60.022 - Learning From Its Leaders: Working Toward the Revitalization of Educational Foundations

Abstract

Over the past few years, scholars who teach and conduct research in the Social Foundations of Education have put together special issues, generated essays and conducted empirical research in order to capture what wider forces are responsible for the elimination of foundations coursework, the increasing distain teacher educators and policymakers have for foundation scholars, and the erroneous assumption that foundations courses do not make for “enlightened teaching and learning” (Sheiffield, 2013). Other foundation scholars have articulated through their own teaching practices, the critical forms of instruction generated by their students, and through conceptual insights why Educational Foundations ought to be considered an essential discipline for eliminating the opportunity gaps plaguing our educational system, for positioning current and future teachers to eliminate oppression confronting their students, and for guiding youth to become critical citizens, individuals who respect diversity, understand how their world functions, and recognize the pressing need to eliminate entrenched inequalities in their schools and communities. Yet, there remains a pressing need to learn about what contemporary forces are behind the denigration of the discipline and what steps are necessary to defend and revitalize it from leading Educational Foundation scholars whose intellectual and cultural work represent the breath of the discipline and who have make the discipline relevant to thousands of students for the past 50 years.
The panelists are considered leading scholars in Educational Foundations. They were all nominated and invited to give the R Freeman Butts at the annual American Educational Studies Association conference, they are all tenured associate or full professors, and all have published extensively in the Foundations of Education. Collectively, their intellectual work surrounding teachers, schools and society represent the diverse landscape of the discipline—philosophy of education; curriculum studies, history of education; cultural studies; and sociology of education.
For the purpose of this panel, the participants agreed reflect upon what they consider as key constitutive forces behind extinguishing the importance of Educational Foundations in school of education and what steps can be employed to make the discipline vibrant. Their insights on these topics will be the focus of the panel presentation.
Significance
This panel is designed to provide needed insight not only to the panelists themselves, but also to the audience as to why Educational Foundations is losing its importance in colleges of education across the U.S and its ability impact education policy debates that are important to teaching and society. Currently, the diverse ideals and perspectives from leading scholars in Educational Foundation is missing from intellectual conversations dedicated to making the discipline salient to stakeholders in the U.S. school system.
Structure
The session will begin with introductory remarks by the session chair, followed by twelve-minute presentations by each of five participants. Participants will discuss their major insights on forces impacting Educational Foundations, on how to resuscitate the discipline, and how to articulate its value for schools, educators and society. The discussants will conclude the session. They will share their insights related to the panel and will elicit questions from the audience.

Authors

• Jacquelyn R. Benchik-Osborne, Dominican University

• Bradley J. Porfilio, Seattle University