The Purposes and Pedagogies of Social Foundations in Teacher Education

Abstract

The social foundations of education (SFE), an interdisciplinary educational field of study, occupies a tenuous position in university-based schools of education. In the era of teacher professionalization and practice-based teacher education, SFE has been relegated to the fringe and its value to teaching practice has been largely disregarded. Focusing specifically on conceptual essays and qualitative studies published by SFE university faculty that advocate for a closer relationship between SFE and teacher education, this literature review examines the ways that SFE teacher educators articulate the value, purpose, and contributory role of SFE in teacher education and explores the pedagogical approaches that they use in their pre-service teacher education classrooms. After analyzing the purposes of SFE in teacher education, as defined by SFE faculty, and the pedagogies that inform their teaching practice, I conclude this review by discussing the fundamental tensions and deeply embedded conflicts between teacher professionalism and the cultural perspectives and knowledges that are highly valued within the SFE discipline and by offering recommendations concerning the future of SFE.