A Call for Reorienting Joy in Educative Spaces

• In Event: Thursday Roundtable Session 10:50 am
  In Roundtable Session: Intersections of Joy, Multilingualism, and Diversity in Teacher Education (Table 37)

Abstract

In this manuscript, the authors examine the field of education’s extended preoccupation with dreadful narratives. A qualitative analysis of educational research proposals is used to illustrate the limited representation of joy in scholarly research around educative spaces. Consideration is given to the roles that educational research and teacher preparation play in perpetuating deficit narratives and possible ways to reframe both the conversations we have around education as well as the field itself. Using Positive Psychology as an exemplar, this manuscript calls for teacher educators to thoughtfully use joy as a construct in the preparation of future educators.

Authors

• Benjamin D. Parker, Coastal Carolina University

• Kathryn Parker, The Citadel