“Helpful Geniuses”: Pre-service Teachers Learning to Enact Critical Inquiries through Rehearsals with Youth

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 2:15 pm - Gold 4
  In Roundtable Session: History, Social Studies, and (Critical) Inquiry

Abstract

In social studies teacher education, supporting PSTs learning to plan and enact critical inquiries is challenging. This paper describes a novel intervention, linking rehearsals as a teacher education pedagogy with a stakeholder traditionally left out of teacher education: youth. We present a case study of one “critical inquiry discussion rehearsal” in which youth not only participated as students but also paused the rehearsal, co-participating with other stakeholders to shape PSTs’ learning. Findings surface what PSTs can learn about critical inquiries and how PSTs and youth can co-investigate teaching together in these “Youth Participatory Teacher Education rehearsals.” Implications highlight the potential of rehearsals with youth for democratizing teacher education and providing PSTs with tools to democratize their future classrooms.

Authors

• Andrew J. Schiera, University of Colorado - Boulder

• Andrew del Calvo, Rutgers University - New Brunswick

• Laura Meinzen, University of Colorado - Boulder

• Daniela Harton, University of Colorado - Boulder