Chapter 7: Learning to Teach for Civic Engagement: Opportunities and Constraints for Three Teachers in One Urban Elementary School

Abstract

Context Civic education is marginalized in many U.S. schools. It is especially rare in elementary schools and in schools serving low-income students of color. Although professional development opportunities in civic education for teachers are limited, these experiences can positively influence teachers’ conceptions of teaching for civic engagement. There is a need for quality professional learning to promote civic education in schools. Focus of Study This chapter explores three elementary school educators’ experiences learning about teaching for civic engagement (TfCE) during their time in a university-based online course on the topic and while they were teaching low-income students of color in a public urban elementary school in the northeastern United States. In the context of the university course, we ask the following related research questions: (1) How do three elementary school teachers conceptualize teaching for civic engagement? (2) How do they perceive their readiness to teach for civic engagement in their professional context? Research Design We used the qualitative methods of document analysis and interview. Specifically, we collected and analyzed nine course assignments and conducted two extended interviews with each of the three participants. Findings We found that during the course, the teachers adopted valuable ideas about developing students’ abilities to identify, deliberate, and act on public problems— demonstrating broadened visions of TfCE. They also described various aspects of their school context that they perceived as unfriendly toward such pedagogy, including an emphasis on high-stakes assessment. Referencing contextual constraints as well as opportunities for TfCE, they expressed varied forms of readiness to enact civic-oriented instruction. Recommendations These findings suggest that to support TfCE, teacher educators should dedicate coursework or other forms of professional development to TfCE, address teachers’ differentiated responses, and confront the absence of civic education in schools.