“Economics Is All Around Us”: Elementary Preservice Social Studies Teachers and the Purpose of Economics

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 9:00 am Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3
  In Roundtable Session: Innovating Social Studies Teacher Education: Fostering Critical Engagement and Cultural Understanding (Table 10)

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, Texas A&M University

• Bethany J. Lavallais, Baylor University