Wonder-Full Education: A Collaborative Discourse on Wonder

• In Event: Teacher Educator Identity and Ideation: Reimagining the Discourse

Abstract

This paper explores the centrality of wonder in teacher preparation, tracing its philosophical and historical roots and examining its potential to foster equitable, inquiry-driven learning environments. Drawing on a multi-year Delphi study with teacher educators, the research synthesizes collective definitions and practices of wonder, highlighting how standardized, performative models of education and rapid technological change have marginalized this essential disposition. The findings illuminate how wonder can be intentionally cultivated in educator preparation programs to disrupt deficit narratives, support teacher self-efficacy, and reimagine classroom practice for collective liberation. The paper concludes with implications for re-centering wonder as a transformative force in teacher education, aligning with the AERA 2026 theme of unforgetting histories and imagining equitable educational futures.

Authors

• Son T. H. Pham, Nha Viet Institute

• Jean Kiekel, University of St. Thomas

• Carley Fisher-Maltese, George Mason University

• Sarah Gailey, Weber State University