Articulating the Purpose of a Social Foundations of Education Course through Instructor Self-Interviews

Abstract

Within contemporary political discourses that narrowly characterize learning in terms of high-stakes standardized examinations, the value of the social foundations of education for teachers is increasingly questioned and challenged by those within and outside programs of teacher education. Even more troubling, prospective teachers often struggle to identify the purpose and usefulness of social foundations for their work as teachers. In this self-study, I engaged in a form of self-interviewing that I adapted to the self-study context in order to better articulate the nuances, complexities, and tensions in the purpose of social foundations for teachers' practice.