Searching for a “pedagogy of hope”: teacher education and the social sciences
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Date
2010
Authors
Samuel, Michael
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Faculty of Education, University of the Free State
Abstract
I analyse module outlines within a particular school of social sciences located in a faculty of
education, and uncover the evolving systems of teaching social sciences in a teacher education
curriculum. The data are analysed through two theoretical lenses: firstly, through the lense of
models of teacher education and professional development, and secondly, through the lense of
multicultural and multi disciplinary studies. The analysis reveals that a new language around
social sciences is still in the early stages of development, drawing its main referencing from the
official policy of the National Curriculum Statement. Unable to develop an independent new
language, the social sciences in teacher education tend to capitulate to external dominant forces.
There is little evidence of engaging with a critical discourse around the potential of teacher edu
cation, resulting in a perpetuation of an applied science notion of professional growth. The juxta
posing of existing disciplinary boundaries constitutes the character of the delivery of the social
sciences. I point to a “pedagogy of hope” which focuses on the future rather than on the present
status of marginalisation of the social sciences in a teacher education curriculum. The paper offers
a way to develop a “Creole”, a language and a discourse around the social sciences in general,
for teacher education in particular.
Description
Keywords
Multi-cultural education, Multi-disciplinarity, Social sciences, Sociolinguistics, Teacher education curriculum, Teacher professional development
Citation
Samuel, M. (2010). Searching for a “pedagogy of hope”: Teacher education and the social sciences. Perspectives in Education, 28(1), 5-15.