Politically Conservative Preservice Teachers, the Spiral of Silence, and Teacher Education

• In Event: 34.042 - Connecting the Controversial: Negotiating Pedagogical Tensions With Preservice Teachers

Abstract

This paper discusses the experiences of politically conservative preservice teachers in typical university teacher education programs that often frame teacher preparation using tenets of liberal thought. Using a narrative inquiry approach, seven recent teacher education graduates who identify as politically conservative were asked to reflect upon their teacher preparation program. Findings suggest that politically conservative preservice teachers often fall into a “spiral of silence” that prevents them from actively participating in class discussions for fear of being admonished by the liberal majority within their program. The experiences of these individuals offer several implications for teacher education, namely whether teacher education programs are adequately modeling political liberalism and providing authentic contexts in which to prepare preservice teachers for K-12 instruction.

Author

• Wayne Journell, University of North Carolina - Greensboro