Reimagining Preservice Teacher Education: Teaching and Learning Across Disciplinary Lines

• In Event: 64.087 - MTCC Roundtable Session 28
  In Roundtable Session: 64.087-4 - Preparing Preservice Teachers to Teach Literacy

Abstract

Although numerous educational reform movements value interdisciplinary learning, schools and teacher education programs continue to be organized around conventional disciplinary lines. This paper reports on an initiative that allows secondary teacher candidates to take Curriculum and Instruction courses in a discipline other than their primary specialization, such as a science candidate participating in a math elective. We report on findings from interviews with teacher candidates and recent graduates to discern what participants learned in the elective course and how it might influence their future teaching. We argue that interdisciplinary teacher learning has the potential to support flexible, responsive, and critical teaching in both the primary and elective subjects and draw implications for the organization of such courses and programs.

Authors

• Emily V. Reigh, Stanford University

• Robin Keturah Anderson, Stanford University

• Kimiko E. Lange, Stanford University

• Peter W. Williamson, Stanford University