Equitable Education in a Diverse Society: Concept Development in a University Service-Learning Teacher Education Course

• In Event: 56.081 - Roundtable Session 24
  In Roundtable Session: 56.081-15 - Learning out of School

Abstract

This study analyzes 6 small group discussions taking place in a book club setting in a Service-Learning in English Education class. A revision of Vygotsky’s account of concept development frames an analysis of the process of concept development across the discussions as the students explored the notion of equitable education in a diverse society. The authors used the analytic categories of concepts and discussion sources to identify (1) the source text motivating their discussion and (2) the various discussion sources from personal knowledge they used to consider the texts’ focal issues. Additionally, the authors identified the students’ projected teacher identities as significant indicators of how they used their evolving conception to imagine how they would teach pluralistic classrooms.

Authors

• Peter Smagorinsky, University of Georgia

• Lindy L. Johnson, The College of William and Mary