The Role of Sociology in Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers: A Brief Comparison of the Canadian and American Contexts

• In Event: 18.015 - "Peace, Order, and Good Government Versus Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness": A Presidential Panel

Abstract

Much has been written about how the American and Canadian educational systems are alike but despite some similarities, there are some significant differences in how education generally, and teacher education more specifically, are conceptualized and delivered across these contexts. The purpose of this paper is to use the axioms of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” from the American context and “peace, order, and good government” from the Canadian context to consider some of these differences. In particular, I will use a sociological lens to make the case that, along with the other foundation disciplines, sociology provides educators with: a) a perspective on education that goes beyond technical-rational concerns (Hare & Portelli, 2003), b) an opportunity to examine the assumptions and beliefs that undergird much of what we do in education, and c) an illustration of how the discipline can “make us see in a new light the very world in which we have lived all of our lives” (Berger, 1963, p. 21).

First, I argue that the foundations disciplines are critical in the preparation and ongoing professional education of teachers because they underscore how educational programs and structures in the U.S. and Canada can be conceptualized as “complex adaptive systems” (Hasinoff & Mandzuk, 2018) because they are characterized by the intricate intertwining of elements within systems and between systems and their environments” (Mitleton-Kelly, 2003). The foundations also remind us that that, in general, teacher education programs tend to be “fuelled by a quest for certainty and motivated by a sense of misplaced efficacy and power” (Liston, Whitcomb & Borko, 2009, p.110). Therefore, the foundations can help us appreciate how “the wisdom of practice is much messier than the certainties we provide, much more provisional that the prescriptions we offer, and filled with a degree of human and educational tension that cannot be ignored” (p. 110).

Second, I argue that sociology, in particular, provides a set of concepts and a language for understanding the forces that bring people together and the forces that pull them apart (Tepperman, 2010). I show how social structures and social practices in education in the U.S. and Canada both shape and are shaped by teachers, administrators, and others who strive for autonomy in the face of conformity and constraint within the highly bureaucratized systems in which they work (Davies & Guppy, 2014).

Finally, using sociology as a lens, I discuss three specific themes that highlight some interesting differences in teacher education in the U.S. and Canada. In particular, I focus on: 1) the degree of federalism in guiding educational discourse, 2) the emphasis on equity as a unifying narrative, and 3) the need for accommodation and higher standards (Hasinoff & Mandzuk, 2015).

Yes, Canada and the U.S. are neighbours but the underlying principles that shape educational policies in our two countries are somewhat different. Considering these differences from a philosophical, historical, and sociological perspective can help us raise new questions, challenge old assumptions, and shed new light on our certainties and uncertainties whether they are warranted or not.

Author

• David Mandzuk, University of Manitoba