"In My Mind, Economics Is Just Money...but I Feel Like That's Wrong": Elementary Preservice Social Studies Teachers and the Purpose of Economics

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 11
  In Roundtable Session: Economics: The Room Where It Happened

Abstract

This study explores the way that preservice elementary teachers conceptualize the role of economics as part of their purpose for teaching and purpose for teaching social studies. In interviews, class sessions, and lesson plans, teachers expressed a purpose for teaching economics that emphasized money, consumption, and preparing students for social roles. Additionally they struggled to articulate a purpose for teaching economics that was aligned with a more active and civically-oriented purpose for teaching social studies. The findings of this study offer elementary teacher educators opportunity to consider the role of economics within social studies and ways to better integrate the purpose of economics in social studies methods that are focused on enhancing active citizenship practices at the elementary level.

Authors

• Neil Shanks, Baylor University

• Bethany Joy Lavallais, Baylor University