Abstract:
Social education in the United States is the area of formal study explicitly dedicated to the process of ‘citizen formation’. It was introduced by the Committee on Social Studies in 1913, and was, from the start, a discipline of contestation between progressives, such as John Dewey and George Counts, and conservatives, such as David Snedden, whose corporate-sponsored campaign successfully defined the official purpose of the social studies (Hursh & Ross, 2000). Civics and citizenship education in Australia revolves around understandings the ‘civic’ (morality, community involvement, political literacy); how we might attain a ‘civil society’ (as it were); and, how this might be promoted in teacher education programs and schools (Tudball, 2010; Tudball & Forsyth, 2009).
The longitudinal research at the center of this proposal examines the attitudes and beliefs of teacher educaiton students toward the inclsuion of critical pedagogy and multicultural education in a social/civics and citizenship educaiton unit that was part of their course. Data – which included beginning and ending, open-ended student surveys; open ended course evaluations; one-on-one student interviews; and focus group interviews – were collected from 1996-2012 and analysed using a qualitative research methodology based, in part, on the work of Bogdan & Biklen (1997); Denzin & Lincoln (2000); Lincoln & Guba (1985); and, Strauss & Corbin (1998).
A very strong majority of all respondents indicated a support for multicultural education in Social/CC Education (over 80%): ‘Multiculturalism MUST have a major role in our teaching of social studies. Our world is diverse, and students are diverse: we need to educate them about others and we do need to recognize & respect differences! It’s a MUST!!!’ Some said multicultural educaiton should play no role at all (under 5%): ‘According to Pruyn there should be no mention of whites, except as oppressors.’
A majority of all respondents indicated a support for the inclusion of critial pedagogy as a theme and practice in Social/CC Education (over 55%): ‘It should be used to empower students. They should know that they can have a positive impact on their communities.’ Some said critical pedagogy should play no role at all (under 5%): ‘I don’t feel that the critical pedagogy approach should play a very big role in social education education. I don’t think it is appropriate for young children to learn in this way.’
The longitudinal research at the center of this proposal examines the attitudes and beliefs of teacher educaiton students toward the inclsuion of critical pedagogy and multicultural education in a social/civics and citizenship educaiton unit that was part of their course. Data – which included beginning and ending, open-ended student surveys; open ended course evaluations; one-on-one student interviews; and focus group interviews – were collected from 1996-2012 and analysed using a qualitative research methodology based, in part, on the work of Bogdan & Biklen (1997); Denzin & Lincoln (2000); Lincoln & Guba (1985); and, Strauss & Corbin (1998).
A very strong majority of all respondents indicated a support for multicultural education in Social/CC Education (over 80%): ‘Multiculturalism MUST have a major role in our teaching of social studies. Our world is diverse, and students are diverse: we need to educate them about others and we do need to recognize & respect differences! It’s a MUST!!!’ Some said multicultural educaiton should play no role at all (under 5%): ‘According to Pruyn there should be no mention of whites, except as oppressors.’
A majority of all respondents indicated a support for the inclusion of critial pedagogy as a theme and practice in Social/CC Education (over 55%): ‘It should be used to empower students. They should know that they can have a positive impact on their communities.’ Some said critical pedagogy should play no role at all (under 5%): ‘I don’t feel that the critical pedagogy approach should play a very big role in social education education. I don’t think it is appropriate for young children to learn in this way.’