Envisioning and Enacting Core Practices

• In Event: Core Practices in Social Studies Teacher Education: Promises and Pitfalls

Abstract

Purpose
Considering the importance of inquiry and the limited time or social studies instruction in elementary schedules (Author, 2010; Houser, 1995; VanFossen, 2005; Vogler et al, 2007), it is essential that teachers are well-prepared to use that time and to efficaciously engage in inquiry with their students. The purpose of this paper is to describe the ways in which preparedness and practice work, or don’t work, to help preservice teachers develop efficacy, necessary for implementation, in their current and future practice.


Methods
Here, we share work with 30 preservice, elementary social studies teachers, and how their perspectives on teaching inquiry in their theoretical classes in the future and their current clinical placements shapes our theory of how learning transitions to practice. In semi-structured, focus group interviews, participants were asked to read and discuss exemplar Inquiry Design Model Blueprints (IDM; Grant, Lee, & Swan, 2014), commenting first on the content knowledge and core teaching practices required and then their views of whether and how they could envision using them in their future and current classrooms. Analyses highlight three dominant themes: (1) agency to enact IDM, (2) perceptions of K-5 student readiness for inquiry-based experiences, and (3) differences between visioned and envisioned classrooms and children.

Findings
As participants moved from talking about envisioning inquiry in their future classrooms to their vision of whether or how inquiry could be enacted in their current placements, enthusiasm, self-efficacy, and perceptions of possibility for implementation shifted dramatically. While the inquiries were enthusiastically received for theoretical children in future classrooms, participants had difficulty envisioning it with “these kids,” (those in their current field placements). For example, Dora initially stated that "seeing these activities like using, making maps about the actual park or any local place really helped me kind of more understand that it is like different ways in which you can really teach this standard.” However, just five minutes later, she was hesitant to consider implementation with her current students, saying, it ``depends on what my mentor teacher would be able to support with because a lot of things are…going to the park, or even if it’s just a classroom thing, can take a long time.” In a matter of minutes, inquiry moved from a strong option for teaching to something that involved excessive logistics and required significant support. Participants shared similar statements about the power of inquiry for theoretical students’ learning, followed by concern regarding their current students’ readiness and capabilities.

Significance
Theoretically, core practices, teaching strategies, and content taught in teacher preparation courses should influence self-efficacy and classroom implementation. This study indicates just that–classroom instruction theoretically influences practice in theoretical, future classrooms. However, this theoretical pathway (Figure 1) didn’t significantly influence self-efficacy and implementation with children and in their current classrooms. This indicates effectiveness of teacher education coursework is mediated by what happens in clinical placements. Future efforts to support innovative practices, including core teaching practices for inquiry, must include strong collaboration including shared vision, professional development, and mutual support between university instructors, mentor teachers, and host schools.

Authors

• Kristy Brugar, University of Oklahoma
  Presenting Author

• Kathryn Roberts, Wayne State University
  Presenting Author