Teacher Candidate Learning of Interdisciplinary Controversial Issues: Linking Social Studies and Science in the Elementary School Curriculum

Authors

Brandon M. Butler, Old Dominion UniversityFollow
Stephen R. Burgin, University of Arkansas, FayettevilleFollow
Mark DiacopoulosFollow
William McConnell, Virginia Wesleyan CollegeFollow

Files

Description

Teaching controversial issues poses challenges for teacher candidates, stemming from apprehensions about potential backlash and gaps in content and pedagogical knowledge. The prevailing emphasis on tested subjects such as mathematics and reading/writing in elementary school education often sidelines social studies and science, limiting opportunities for candidates to engage with these disciplines and their associated instructional strategies, including addressing controversial topics. Integrating social studies and science with other subject areas emerges as a viable approach to ensure comprehensive education. Teacher education coursework serves as a vital platform for exposing educators to interdisciplinary curriculum design and implementation. Such exposure prompts teacher candidates to reevaluate their preconceptions and practices concerning controversial issues. This article examines teacher candidate learning, contextualized within Interdisciplinary Pedagogical Content Knowledge (IPCK), during a two- week unit on interdisciplinary instruction that integrates social studies and science through controversial topics across two semesters of elementary school social studies and science methods courses. While findings reveal a perceptible shift in attitudes toward teaching controversy, the limited exposure to such issues in prior educational experiences impedes candidates’ ability to develop curricula reflective of this evolving perspective

Publication Date

6-24-2024

Publisher

Taylor and Francis

Keywords

Elementary teacher preparation; controversial issues; socio-scientific issues; interdisciplinary teaching

Disciplines

Curriculum and Instruction | Educational Methods | Elementary Education | Elementary Education and Teaching | Scholarship of Teaching and Learning | Science and Mathematics Education | Teacher Education and Professional Development

Recommended Citation

Butler, Brandon M.; Burgin, Stephen R.; Diacopoulos, Mark; and McConnell, William, "Teacher Candidate Learning of Interdisciplinary Controversial Issues: Linking Social Studies and Science in the Elementary School Curriculum" (2024). Open Educational Resources - Teaching and Learning. 17.
https://digitalcommons.pittstate.edu/oer-teaching/17