A Service-Learning Exercise in Building Civil Engagement in Teacher Education

Autor/in	Moguel, David L.
Titel	A Service-Learning Exercise in Building Civil Engagement in Teacher Education
Quelle	In: Issues in Teacher Education, 12 (2003) 2, S.25-40 (16 Seiten) PDF als Volltext (1); PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei (2) Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1536-3031
Schlagwörter	Preservice Teacher Education; Methods Courses; Teacher Education Programs; Democracy; Learning Strategies; Service Learning; Citizen Participation; Democratic Values; Social Studies; Social Responsibility; Civics; Government (Administrative Body); Student Participation; United States History; Educational History; Reflection; California + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Lehramtsstudiengang; Lehrerausbildung; Methodisch-didaktische Anleitung; Demokratie; Learning methode; Learning techniques; Lernmethode; Lernstrategie; Service-Learning; 'Citizen participation; Citizens'' participation'; Bürgerbeteiligung; Gemeinschaftskunde; Soziale Verantwortung; Staatsbürgerkunde; Government; Regierung; Schülermitarbeit; Schülermitwirkung; Studentische Mitbestimmung; History of education; Bildungsgeschichte; Kalifornien
Abstract	Service learning can be a vehicle to promote democracy in the teacher education classroom. Incorporating service learning into a teacher education program is an uphill battle: teacher candidates lead complicated lives with professional and family responsibilities, some continue long-standing volunteer commitments to their communities, and course syllabi are already stretched to the limit with other requirements and reforms. There seems to be no time and space left to require teacher candidates to perform "community service." Because the will and interest to serve seem to be missing also, there is some controversy. Many teacher candidates and their instructors see aspects of teaching as an act of public service, so any additional service requirements seem excessive. This article addresses some compelling problems of building democracy and doing service learning in the context of teacher education. The article looks at the outcomes of a service learning exercise within a teacher education course, drawing primarily from the written reflections of the teacher candidates who complete the exercise. The main question is: "How has one social studies methods course used service learning to learn and teach about building a sense of civic engagement, democratic participation, and social responsibility?" The answer to the question has interesting implications for teacher education having to do with the teaching of social studies, particularly government and civics. A traditional and familiar approach to teaching government in elementary and secondary schools consists of teaching about three branches of government, the system of checks and balances, and "how a bill becomes a law." The reflections of the teacher candidates in this course, however, argue for an alternative, possibly much more interesting and engaging approach addressing more fundamental principles of civic engagement and participation that originally led to the establishment of democracy in this country. (Contains 4 notes.) (ERIC).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10