Goals and Challenges of First-Time Doctoral Student Instructors of Elementary Social Studies Methods Courses

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 60
  In Roundtable Session: Policy and Practice in Social Studies Teacher Education

Abstract

This paper reports on findings from a qualitative study investigating the following research question: How do doctoral student instructors make sense of teaching an elementary social studies methods course for the first time? This paper focuses specifically on one subsection of our findings: the goals and challenges of first-time doctoral student instructors of elementary social studies methods courses. We find that goals and challenges are widely shared, and many of the challenges stem from the instructors’ ambitious personal goals, particularly the objective of creating a critical, political space in the classroom and the challenges inherent in meeting that aim.

Authors

• Elizabeth A. Washington, University of Florida

• Stephanie Schroeder, The Pennsylvania State University - University Park