Caring and Controversial Issues in Teacher Education: A Self-Study on Teaching in Moments of Tension

• In Event: 34.096 - MTCC Roundtable Session 12
  In Roundtable Session: 34.096-13 - Democratizing Learning Environments Through Self-Study

Abstract

Classroom discussions centered on controversial issues are often fraught with moments of tension. The purpose of this self-study was to gain insight from a critical incident about a discussion on a controversial issue that occurred in a graduate course for inservice teachers. Conceptually informed by Nell Nodding’s ethic of care, the inquiry drew from autoethnography and critical incident analysis. Data sources were analyzed in relation to these methodological approaches. Analysis focused on the instructor's teaching practices throughout the critical incident with implications for future practice and the work of other teacher educators. The findings contribute to SSTEP literature on how teacher educators can promote caring and pedagogically enabling classroom contexts when discussing controversial issues.

Author

• Adrian D. Martin, New Jersey City University