Childhood Education Students Responses to a Simulation Game on Food Security: Prompting Discussions About Social Injustice in Teacher Education

• In Event: 31.050 - Transformative Teaching for Social Justice

Abstract

This paper describes student-teachers responses to a simulation game about food scarcity. Data were generated via video recordings of the simulation game, summary notes of a discussion session, and students’ learning portfolios. Analysis of the various data sets indicate that student-teachers’ engaged with the game both viscerally and cerebrally, with the game providing a powerful concrete introduction to the issues of food scarcity and unequal distribution of resources. Most student teachers were able to relate the lessons learned from the game to the classroom and educational situation. The simulation game as method can assist students in their activity of learning to look at education as an equity and justice issue.

Authors

• Nadine Petersen, University of Johannesburg

• Elizabeth Henning, University Of Johannesburg