Politics in Education: Poetic Exploration of Preservice Teachers’ Perceptions of Legislating Classrooms

• In Event: Sunday Roundtable Session 3:05 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Teacher Knowledge Across Educational Contexts (Table 35)

Abstract

With growing polarization and negativity towards teaching as a career from various sources, including action groups, community members, and politicians, preservice teachers (PTs) are learning to lead future classrooms amidst the political assaults mounting against the teaching field. This study investigates how through a course-embedded undergraduate research (CEUR) project one PT explores: 1) emotions, hopes, fears, and aptitudes PTs have while addressing impacts of entering the teaching profession with political tensions on the rise; and 2) how PTs are affected by past, current, and congruent legislative bills aimed at teachers and classrooms alike. Through poetic inquiry, the PT demonstrates the power of polyvocal poetry as a conduit for sharing and amplifying PT voices often overlooked, ignored, or disregarded in educational research.

Authors

• Kate A. Gardner, St. Cloud State University

• Scott Baker, St. Cloud State University