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

Educational Foundations, Spring 2001 by Tutwiler, Sandra Winn

As importantly, studies from normative perspectives allow students to understand, from both historical and contemporary views, the social, political, and economic processes that support the marginalization of certain groups of people; the subsequent normalization of distorted images of how these groups came to be as they are perceived; and the impact of these circumstances on the current push to educate all children (Osborne 1996). In this way, preservice teachers are challenged to attend to "minority" worldviews as a matter of effective practice in educational systems and practices that heretofore played major roles in suppressing those very same worldviews.

Preservice teachers need time and appropriate processes for clarifying, articulating and challenging beliefs about education that are based on their lay theories (Holt-Reynolds 1992), even if these theories tend to lean toward educational processes and practices that do not address the needs of diverse student populations. It is problematic, however, to believe that the tenacity of existing belief systems will be disrupted by the one or two foundations courses suggested for teacher education programs (Smith, Moallem, & Sherill 1997; Holt-Reynolds 1992). Also, a number of teacher education programs are structured so that issues of diversity addressed in social foundations and educational psychology do not find their way into subject matter content and pedagogical (methods) courses (Tatto 1996). When added to an apprenticeship approach to teacher education-an approach where preservice teachers are apprentices to teachers using more traditional curriculum and teaching methods (Hollingsworth 1989)-preservice teachers exit professional education programs with unchanged beliefs about teaching and learning, and thus less able to address the needs of diverse learners.

Numerous scholars conclude that a major reason for disparity in school performance among various ethnic/cultural groups resides in teaching practices that do not facilitate meaningful connections between the knowledge and experiences students bring to school, and expected learning within school contexts (Hollins 1996; Zeichner 1996; Delpit 1995; Gay 1993). It is also well documented that students learn best when they can connect what they already know to new knowledge (Gay 1993; Gagne 1985). The value of these views of teaching and learning are not limited to students who have traditionally been underserved by the nation's educational system. Indeed, Gardner (1991), in the process of prizing teaching for understanding over teaching for rote, ritualized, and conventional performances, suggests that schools need to respond to different forms of learning, performance, and understanding. In this process they are likely to reach broader numbers of students.

The importance of reflective capability among teachers is generally accepted. The contribution of the combination of content and pedagogical processes associated with social foundations in facilitating and/or building upon reflective capability, depending on the placement of the foundations course in the professional sequence, is less well defined or appreciated. The educational psychology course I teach is designed to build upon the interpretive, normative, critical ways of thinking that are integral to social foundations instruction, as a means for promoting reflective capability. Instructional strategies such as writing, field experiences, dialogue in seminars, case analysis, and collaborative instructional strategies all contribute to reflective capability (Borko, Micahlec, Timmons, & Siddle, 1997; Carter & Anders, 1996) and are used, whether I'm teaching social or psychological foundations. The educational psychology course is organized so that students engage in a number of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation writing exercises, both individual and group, based on course content and field experiences. The exercises build specifically on the critical and interpretive approaches to theory, as students are told that answers to questions may vary, but all must draw upon and accurately reflect theory. In this way, teacher candidates are initiated into the process of using theory to explain educational phenomena, as they are encouraged to trust their ability to analyze and evaluate practice. Preservice teachers are also presented cases and other teaching dilemmas that they must analyze in collaborative groups. The purpose of these experiences is to have them hear each other "talk theory," as they use theoretical concepts to resolve dilemmas. In the process, theory is demystified to some extent, and its value for addressing problematic issues is emphasized.