Reasons pre-service teachers choose secondary social studies at three mid-west institutions

Journal of Social Studies Research, Winter 2000 by Connors, Thomas G, Scheonfeldt, Melinds, Weller, Kay E, Smith, Ben A

ABSTRACT

Why do pre-service teachers choose to teach social studies? Do they do so because of respect for an interest in the subject matter and profession? Or does the widely held perception that teaching this content is often linked to coaching lead some students to enter the field primarily to coach and view teaching social studies as a means to this end? In order to examine these questions, a survey was administered to preservice teachers in methods courses at Ball State University, Kansas State University, and the University of Northern Iowa. Analysis of student responses to this questionnaire indicate that advanced pre-service teachers are interested in the content and attracted by the importance of the profession rather than ranking the desire to coach as a significant motive in their choice of career.

Introduction

The terms social science and social studies are frequently used interchangeably and major terminology varies from institution to institution. For the purposes of this study we will primarily use the term social studies.

Today politicians often paint a picture of "gloom and doom" in predicting whether an adequate supply of new teachers will be prepared to replace the baby boomer teachers now approaching retirement (Waterloo Courier Jan. 26, 2000). According to a report in Education Week (Bradley 2000), Chicago public schools are now hiring foreign teachers in math and science. Yet so many graduates with secondary social studies certification enter the teaching job market each year that no shortage seems impending or, for that matter, even a balance of supply and demand (AAEE 2000). Because social science teaching majors continue to attract significant numbers of pre-service teachers, it may be useful to research why university students choose to prepare for a career teaching social studies.

Can the reasons these undergraduates select their majors be related to research that has bound secondary students like social studies least of all their subjects? Can this dislike be linked to pre-service teachers entering the profession for reasons unrelated to the subject matter? Is teaching social studies sometimes chosen as a means to a more highly valued end, decisions possibly based on a widely held perception of the job market and common practice in the schools? If pre-service teachers do elect to teach social studies but lack enthusiasm for the content and do not consider teaching a priority over other responsibilities, it may help explain why the subject is considered "boring" by secondary students, who rank it the least liked of all their subjects (Goodlad 1984, Adler 1991). There is an undocumented hypothesis that many preservice teachers elect to teach social studies although their principal goal is to coach. When employed, coaching becomes their main concern and teaching is regulated to a lesser role. Another hypothesis which may explain secondary students' dislike of the social studies is the use of poor teaching methods that reduce topics to rote memorization and remove their intrinsically human character, leading to dull classes lacking relevance to their lives or future (Goodlad, 1984), Adler, 1991). The focus of this study is to examine reasons that pre-service teachers report guided their decision to teach secondary social studies. It is a continuation of an earlier study conducted by Weller and Smith (1999).

In 1989, the Governors' Conference affirmed the place of social studies in the American curriculum and called for educational standards in history, civics, geography, and economics (US Department of Education 1990). In the past decade, many social science professional societies have developed national standards (Weller & Smith 1999). It is essential that those responsible for teaching middle and secondary students are knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the content of these subjects and are able to present them through engaging activities, so that our society may draw on an educated and discerning citizenry in the new century.

Hypothesis and Goals of the Study

The goal of this study is to help explain why secondary pre-service students choose to major in a discipline in which the supply of graduates continues to exceed the demand. The previous study involved pre-service students at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) and Kansas State University (KSU), while this study adds students at Ball State University (BSU). The research team hopes to determine whether or not the patterns formed at UNI and KSU are similar to patterns evolving in other regions of the United States. The study includes institutions stretching across the Midwest from the Plains to the industrial Great Lakes region.

This study hypothesizes that students choose to major in social studies education for a variety of reasons and aims to measure how significant among these is the desire to coach. The goal of coaching, among other reasons discussed below, often comes up in initial advising interviews by two members of the research team. Reviews of resumes of male history majors preparing to student teach show many with extensive coaching experience at local schools or with park of club leagues during the summer. Even more have or plan to receive state coaching certification. Other reasons students have given for choosing a social studies teaching major include, but are not limited to the following: (1) a deep interest in the content; (2) the rigor of the content; (3) the pre-service student had an inspiring social studies teacher in high or middle school; (4) that a previous social studies teacher used interesting teaching methods; (5) the pre-service teacher wants to coach and perceives that teaching social studies and coaching are regularly linked on the job market; (ti) the pre-service student considers the content important in preparing students for adulthood; (7) the pre-service student cannot think of anything else for a major; (8) the preservice student believes it will be easy to get a job; and (9) the pre-service student believes teaching is important. These reasons are not exhaustive, of course, but this study intends to measure how these are rated by students as influencing their own decisions.