Preservice and inservice secondary social studies teachers' beliefs and instructional decisions about learning with text

Journal of Social Studies Research, Spring 2002 by Wilson, Elizabeth K, Readence, John E, Konopak, Bonnie C

Abstract

This study examined the beliefs and instructional choices of preservice and inservice secondary social studies teachers about learning with text. Four instruments were utilized: (a) a set of 15 beliefs statements on how learning with text takes place (process model), Co) a set of 15 beliefs statements on how learning with text develops (instructional approach), and (c) two sets of lesson scenarios on vocabulary and comprehension instruction. Each set reflected three theoretical orientations: (a) textbased, (b) reader-based, and (c) interactive. While limited by the hypothetical nature of the written tasks, results indicated that both groups favored reader-based beliefs about learning with text and chose corresponding reader-based vocabulary and comprehension lesson scenarios. Future research should examine social studies teachers' classroom practices to see if their beliefs and instructional decisions are consistent with their actual practices.

Introduction

Over 20 years ago, knowledge about teacher effectiveness was primarily derived from process-product research that correlated teacher behavior with student achievement (Anderson, Evertson, & Brophy, 1979; Brophy & Good, 1974). While such studies were based primarily on observable classroom events, more recently teacher educators have shifted their focus to "certain aspects of teacher cognition and their relationship to sound pedagogical practices in the classroom" (Fang, 1996, p. 47). These studies have examined teacher beliefs that can act as a filter for instructional decisions and actions (Clark & Peterson, 1986; Shulman, 1986).

According to Shulman (1986), three dimensions of general knowledge exist in the process of teaching: (a) subject matter content knowledge, (b) pedagogical knowledge, and (c) curricular knowledge. In addition, theories and beliefs hold a prominent place where teachers build upon their general knowledge through perceptions, reflections, and behaviors in the classroom (Fang, 1996). In support, research has shown that teachers hold particular beliefs about social studies and instruction (Adler, 1982; Evans, 1989; Wilson, 2000) and that these beliefs can guide pedagogical decisions and practices (Adler, 1982; leming, 1989; Onosko, 1989; Wilson, 2000).

Research on Teachers' Beliefs and Practices

In an early report, the National Institute of Education (1975) noted, "what teachers do is directed in no small measure to what they think" (p. 3). Other research (Brousseau, Book, & Byers, 1988; Clark & Peterson, 1986) has supported this view by arguing that teacher cognition is a critical aspect of teacher effectiveness. The underlying assumption is that teachers' thoughts about different components of the instructional process can substantially influence their classroom plans and behaviors (Armour-Thomas, 1989). Fenstermacher (1979) asserted that examining teachers' beliefs can lead to a better understanding of teacher effectiveness and teacher practice.

In regard to teacher education and teaching practice, studies have examined an apparent dichotomy for preservice teachers: teacher education and the practical realities of the classroom (Cherland, 1989). Researchers (e.g., Palonsky & Jacobson, 1988) have concluded that when conflicts exist between the university and the classroom, the influence of the classroom teacher supplants that of the teacher educators. This is supported by research that indicates the student teaching experience is the most influential aspect of a new teacher's preparation (Clark, Smith, Newby, & Cook, 1985). Other research suggests that the preservice teachers' beliefs are well established by the time the student begins a teacher education program (Wilson, 1990).

According to Lortie (1975), a prospective teacher's beliefs about teaching are formed during the apprenticeship of observation, the years that the teacher is a student. Some suggest that the beliefs of preservice teachers change very little during the preservice program (Bennett, 1991; Lortie, 1975; Zeek & Wickstrom, 1999). Zeichner and Tabachnick's (1985) study, which followed social studies teachers from the student teaching experience into their first year of teaching, found no statistically significant changes in the preservice teachers' beliefs during student teaching. During the teachers' first year of teaching, the researchers concluded that the transition from preservice teacher to inservice teacher was "highly person-- and text-specific" (p.24). The researchers suggested that teacher educators and teachers should develop ways of "creating and maintaining conditions within schools that will enhance the individual expressions" of teachers and their beliefs (p. 35).

Subsequently, researchers have concluded that, in addition to a teacher's own experience as a student, a variety of other factors can influence a teacher's beliefs about teaching. These can include the sociocultural context of the school setting (Feiman-Nemser, 1983). O'Brien, Stewart, and Moje (1995) suggested that the sociocultural contexts of secondary schools could mitigate the beliefs and literacy practices of secondary teachers. Some posit that the teacher's beliefs about the academic discipline may affect the beliefs of the teacher and the classroom practices of the teacher (Grossman & Stodolsky, 1994). This is supported by Readence, Kile, and Mallette (1998) who suggested that"... teachers in different subjectmatter areas have different reasons for justifying what it is they believe and do" (p. 144). Research on teacher beliefs has illustrated the complexity of constructing an understanding about what teachers think and, in turn, what they do. Fang (1996) asserted: