Educational Professionals Weigh In: The Essential Components for Licensure in Secondary Social Studies

• In Event: Roundtable Session 17
  In Roundtable Session: Teaching and Learning Complicated Topics in Social Studies

Abstract

A survey of secondary social studies education professionals showed support for granting teachers a provisional license in a state of the Midwestern U.S. through accredited licensure programs. Results of the survey revealed support for granting teachers a provisional state educator’s license through accredited licensure programs. The process of earning a license would, respondents indicated, combine clinical experience with effective mentors and traditional course work in a social studies content area. Various factors, such as one’s major field of study in college, mentorship, and experience, all form part of teacher preparation. Respondents deemed mentorship most important (the mean and standard deviation in qualitative analysis), while commenting that content area knowledge, classroom management, and experience were also important (qualitative analysis).

Author

• Antonio Rodriguez, University of Colorado