Economics (Only) Now: the Temporal Limitations of Economics as Part of A Critical Social Studies Pedagogy

Neil Shanks

doi:10.3390/educsci9010036

Abstract

This study speaks to the limited literature on economics way that preservice teachers in an urban teaching program conceptualize the function of economics within social studies. Utilizing case study methods and a theoretical framework that intersects critical pedagogy as part of a broader, critical, social studies pedagogy. Specifically, it seeks to understand the pedagogical tenets of social analysis with the idea of a counter-hegemonic stance, the study offers insight into the role of economics as part of a broadly critical social studies teacher education program. The results indicate that preservice teachers’ purpose for teaching social studies and the function of economics were aligned in the mission to critically analyze society. However, preservice teachers’ purposes for social studies extended beyond the function of economics into the past, and informed active citizenship for future action. These results show that economics can be a significant part of a social studies education practice that seeks to analyze society, understand the past, and take action for a better future. Unfortunately, limited familiarity and content knowledge inhibit a broader application of the function of economics. Social studies teacher education must purposefully integrate economics content into the exploration of the past and a discussion of future action for justice in order to combat prevailing content knowledge issues in preservice teachers and to help them reconcile their purpose for teaching social studies through economics.

Highlights

The landscape of social studies education literature is devoid of economics discussion in general [1]
Economics was an important component of social studies component social society, studies as a means analyze society, this as a means toofanalyze this to analysis was largelyhowever, confined to theanalysis present. was Theylargely rarely confined to the present
This study explored the question of how content knowledge and previous experience with economics influenced the way that preservice teachers understand the function of economics within social studies education

Summary

Introduction

The landscape of social studies education literature is devoid of economics discussion in general [1]. History [2], and to a lesser extent other disciplines under the social studies umbrella, receive far more research attention than economics [3]. This is a problem given the potential for economics education to prepare students for social roles [4] or for the informed decision-making necessary for citizenship [1,5,6]. While the literature is limited, nearly every exploration into teachers’ content knowledge and previous experience with economics concludes that social studies teachers have limited coursework in economics. Scahill and Melican [8] surveyed AP economics instructors and found that “no more than 20 percent of respondents had received undergraduate instruction that many professional economists consider sufficient to teach AP economics” (p. 94) and nearly thirty percent of those surveyed had

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion