Social studies teacher educators who do race work: A racial-pedagogical-content-knowledge analysis

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how 11 social studies teacher educators (SSTEs) incorporated race into their social studies methods courses. It examines the instructional practices of the SSTEs using racial-pedagogical-content-knowledge (RPCK) as an analytical framework.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is a qualitative interview study. The data sources included two 40–90 min semi-structured interviews per participant, methods course syllabi and reading lists, and university documents such as departmental mission statements and program course requirements. Data were analyzed using three cycles of coding: descriptive coding, focused coding and analytic generalizations.

Findings

The paper illustrates how the SSTEs incorporated race into their social studies methods courses through developing counter-narrative content knowledge, modeling the application of critical race theory tenets through pedagogical content knowledge, and cultivating a working racial knowledge among pre-service teachers.

Originality/value

This paper extends the literature of the RPCK framework through illustrating many ways each component of RPCK can be applied within a social studies methods course.

Citation

Demoiny, S.B. (2018), "Social studies teacher educators who do race work: A racial-pedagogical-content-knowledge analysis", Social Studies Research and Practice, Vol. 13 No. 3, pp. 330-344. https://doi.org/10.1108/SSRP-04-2018-0017