Suchergebnisse

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the extent to which an intervention lesson could help with elementary pre-service teachers' critical racial knowledge around school segregation.Design/methodology/approachThe author, an Elementary Social Studies Methods Instructor, developed and modeled lessons of "doing race" in social studies as one of the ways to assist elementary pre-service teachers with critical racial knowledge and commitment to do race in their future classrooms. This paper focuses on one of the modeled lessons, which centered on the topic of school segregation.FindingsBased on the analysis of class discussion and student work, the author documented the ways in which the modeled lesson engaged pre-service teachers in disrupting the dominant discourses and teaching practices on the topic of school segregation and developing the critical understandings needed to successfully teach about race and racism in elementary classrooms.Originality/valueThe paper details actions meant to demonstrate to elementary pre-service teachers the benefits of an elementary social studies topic viewed and taught through a critical race lens. In doing so, it calls attention to the possibilities and limitations of a single lesson that targets antiracist practices.

PurposeHow can the author, as social studies methods instructors, assist future elementary teachers develop the knowledge and skills to engage young students in critical examinations of race and racism, and feel empowered to take action against racial oppression? The purpose of this paper is to share one of many possible ways of "doing race" in elementary social studies teacher education.Design/methodology/approachFirst, the author proposes the topic of school segregation as a relevant and engaging inroad for elementary students to learn about race and racism. Then, the author outlines and problematizes a dominant approach to teaching about school segregation in elementary classrooms and suggests an alternative approach informed by critical race theories. Next, the author provides counterstories to dispel the dominant narrative of school segregation from an Asian critical race theory perspective. This is followed by an explanation of the lesson the author teaches in the author's elementary social studies methods course that utilizes these perspectives and counterstories.FindingsBy using Asian-American counterstories of school segregation, the lesson seeks to assist preservice elementary teachers in disrupting the dominant teaching practices and discourses around school segregation and helps preservice teachers develop the critical understandings and competencies needed to successfully teach about race and racism in elementary classrooms.Originality/valueThe author concludes by discussing the possibilities and implications of the lesson.

Despite an extensive body of curriculum research on inclusion and representation of historically marginalized groups, Asian Americans and their perspectives have received relatively little attention in and of themselves in curriculum studies. Although some progress has been made in curricular treatment of historically marginalized groups, Asian Americans are still almost absent from official school knowledge, and when they appear they are generally misrepresented. This article introduces Asian critical race theory (AsianCrit) as relevant to curriculum studies, and explicates how AsianCrit can be a theoretical, methodological framework to research and transform curricular treatment of Asian Americans. In doing so, this article seeks to address the lack of curriculum research on Asian Americans as well as the limited curricular inclusion of Asian Americans and their experiences.

In a context of high-stakes accountability in teacher education, concerns are emerging about challenges to the already tenuous position of elementary social studies teacher education. In this case study, the author administered a survey to elementary social studies teacher educators in Georgia and conducted follow-up interviews focusing on the impact of edTPA on elementary social studies teacher education and the ways in which they are navigating the new context of teaching elementary social studies methods. The findings reveal the possibility of further decline of social studies in elementary teacher education programs due to elementary edTPA's singular focus on literacy and math content pedagogy along with the high-stakes nature of edTPA process. Implications for future research on edTPA and elementary social studies education are discussed.