Social Studies Education and Preservice Teacher Preparation: Confronting the Participant-Subject Paradigm

Teachers' recognition of the political and cultural implications of their pedagogical decisions is significant. Teachers need to recognize the role they play in the facilitation of democracy and the impact of their orientation toward cultural reproduction, social integration, and personal awareness. Political engagement rests on the assumption that teachers recognize and value their role as being inherently political. To determine if democratic engagement can be developed, a case study of preservice teachers was conducted. Democratic engagement begins by raising awareness of the issues relevant to the role of the teacher and the structure and function of the curriculum. Using the reflections and responses of preservice teachers participating in this case study provided useful data indicating the assumptions that many teachers take into their role as teachers in social studies classrooms.