Social foundations approach to educational psychology: Basis for educating the critical reflective educator

Educational Foundations, Spring 2001 by Tutwiler, Sandra Winn

Conclusion

As stated in the handbook "the ultimate purpose of the Standards.. is to promote quality instruction and learning in foundational studies to guarantee to the extent possible that students have opportunities to acquire interpretive, normative, and critical perspectives on education through rigorous study and field experiences" (CLSE 1997 p 5). Academic content that structures foundation courses is easily recognized as "foundation's content" by most teacher educators, who may then place it at varying degrees of importance in the overall education of a teacher. The pedagogical processes, skills, and dispositions that undergird foundation courses ( i.e., the focus on the interpretive, normative, and critical perspectives on education) are less well known by non foundations scholars and thus not frequently evaluated for contributions-negative or positive-to teacher education and development.

The Standards, however, have value beyond quality teaching and learning in foundational studies only. While it is the case that preservice teachers may acquire interpretive, normative, and critical perspectives on education in foundation courses, continued development of these skills and dispositions benefit from explicit incorporation in other courses that are a part of a teacher education professional sequence. Structuring an educational psychology course using a social foundations approach seems feasible, given the position of both as foundations courses. More routine incorporation of these perspectives at the teaching methods and student teaching level increases the possibility that these skills will become a part of novice teacher behavior and dispositions.

The notion that ability to assess educative policies, practices, and contexts from interpretive, normative, and critical perspectives is a skill all teachers ought to develop is emphasized, in keeping with the idea that these skills are essential for development of critical reflective capacity. The early 1900s proposition that teachers need more than subject matter knowledge and teaching methods in order to be effective teachers has not been totally embraced nor fully implemented by most teacher education programs in the United States. In a context of increasing diversity, the prophetic wisdom of those inspired to initiate the foundations as part of teacher education seems more apparent. Clearly foundations taught from a CLSE standards perspectives potentially plays a vital role in teachers' ability to engage broadened notions of reflectivity, and as a result increases teachers' effectiveness in working with students from various social, cultural, and economic backgrounds.

References

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