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Reinvigorating Social Studies: A Desire for Powerful Learning

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Book cover Critical Voices in Teacher Education

Part of the book series: Explorations of Educational Purpose ((EXEP,volume 22))

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Abstract

According to a teacher education study in social studies curriculum (also known as society and environment), taken-for-granted discourses of schooling as well as community discourses appeared to hold sway over the choices pre-service teachers made for children’s learning through fieldwork (or excursions). As a part of several action research cycles, these findings have led to further initiatives; the most recent takes up opportunities offered in the contemporary teacher education context with an emphasis on online and blended learning. In this chapter, I outline this most recent iteration in course design, based on a desire for pre-service teachers to be knowing and powerful agents in their planning decisions. Namely, this chapter focuses on the use of a narrative pedagogy incorporating a richly connected form of critical reflection and analysis.

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Acknowledgements

With thanks to the Faculty of Education, University of Tasmania, and the School of Education, University of Ballarat, for the opportunity to develop the units discussed in this chapter. Thanks also to colleagues with whom I have worked at both institutions and to Sharon Fraser and Tony Dowden for their comment on earlier drafts.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education, University of Tasmania, Launceston, TAS, Australia

    Robbie Johnston

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  1. Robbie Johnston
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Correspondence to Robbie Johnston .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , School of Education, Murdoch University, Dixon Road, Rockingham, 6168, West Australia, Australia

    Barry Down

  2. , School of Education, University of Ballarat, University Drive, Mt Helen, 3350, Victoria, Australia

    John Smyth

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Johnston, R. (2012). Reinvigorating Social Studies: A Desire for Powerful Learning. In: Down, B., Smyth, J. (eds) Critical Voices in Teacher Education. Explorations of Educational Purpose, vol 22. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-3974-1_17

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