Mediated, Practice-Based Education: A Tool Toward Democratizing Social Studies Teacher Education

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

Abstract

Purpose
The turn towards practice-based teacher education (PBTE) has dominated discourse in educator preparation over the last two decades (Crocco & Linvingston, 2017; Foranzi, 2014). Research surrounding PBTE has emphasized its potential to provide (pre-service) teachers opportunities to model and breakdown instruction as well as rehearse practices before engaging P12 students and reflection (Grossman et al., 2009; McDonald et al., 2013). In social studies education, the discourse on pedagogies of enactment has traditionally been embedded in the teaching of history; where there exists a tentative consensus on the disciplinary processes, or core practice associated with teaching historical thinking (Fogo, 2014; Author, 2018a). Among the broader field, contention over core practices remains, as some question the potential essentialization of social studies teaching that might come about naming practices (Author, 2020; Author, 2018b).

PBTE poses additional challenges for the field: namely, the extent the core practices promoted in a social studies methods program cohere with the practices teacher candidates are exposed to during their student teaching. Research has found ambitious social studies teaching among student teachers is potentially washed out when it is not supported by mentor teachers, (Martell, 2019). One potential solution includes leveraging mediated field experiences (MFE), which negotiate authority among teacher educators and classroom teachers (Horn & Campbell, 2013). Principles associated with MFEs include: 1) Drawing on practitioner knowledge to align instructional practices, 2) Creating experiences for teacher candidates to observe teacher partners, 3) Placing teacher candidate learning in the center of learning through structured tools and 4) Providing opportunities for teacher candidate and teacher partner reflection (Campbell & Dunleavy, 2016). MFEs have the potential to democratize a practice-based teacher education by providing opportunities for classroom teachers and teacher educators to build consensus over the form and function of instructional practices (Payne, 2018).

Methods
In a study conducted at a large, urban teacher education program in the Southeast, one social studies teacher education program developed a mediated field experience with a local high school. Classroom teachers at the school helped develop the course curriculum, provided feedback on the core practices as well constructed opportunities for modeling, rehearsing, and enacting social studies practices in grade 9-12 classrooms.

Findings
Results from the study suggest the PBTE cycle of practice made visible the complexity of social studies teaching for novice teachers and afforded them opportunities to authentically engage these practices in a low-stakes setting. As a second part of the study, preservice teachers were followed into their student teaching semester. Results indicate that the influence of the mediated, practice-based experience was moderated and mediated by various factors during the internship, including the teacher candidate’s own instructional beliefs as well as mentor teachers’ involvement in the MFE.

Significance
Implications from this study include constructing opportunities for meaningful collaboration among social teacher educators and classroom teachers to ensure opportunities for preservice teachers to engage in the ambitious pedagogies promoted within the field.

Author

• Paul G. Fitchett, Auburn University
  Presenting Author