Teaching Content Methods in a High School PDS: Navigating Curricular Tensions

As secondary methods instructors, we seek to integrate our courses within the context of our partner high school and to engage its staff in helping prepare our students. State and district mandates, however, often conflict with the pedagogy and content that guides our methods courses. In short, thes...

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Main Authors: Richard Chant, Brian P. Zoellner
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Portland State University 2023-06-01
Series:Northwest Journal of Teacher Education
Subjects:
Online Access:https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/40379
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author Richard Chant
Brian P. Zoellner
author_facet Richard Chant
Brian P. Zoellner
author_sort Richard Chant
collection DOAJ
description As secondary methods instructors, we seek to integrate our courses within the context of our partner high school and to engage its staff in helping prepare our students. State and district mandates, however, often conflict with the pedagogy and content that guides our methods courses. In short, these mandates, whose ultimate goals are to increase student scores on high-stakes tests (especially at Title I schools), frequently do not align with the best practices described in contemporary educational research. In this article, we examine a highly rated unit plan developed by one teacher education candidate within a PDS-based methods course in regards to four theoretical frameworks: The National Council for the Social Studies A Vision of Powerful Teaching and Learning in the Social Studies position statement, Frey and Fisher’s Gradual Release of Learning model, the school district’s curriculum guide, and the PDS site principal’s explicit instructional messaging). The unit plan well supported assumptions posited by the NCSS position statement and the gradual release model, but offered less support for those required in the district curriculum guide or the principal’s message. Our findings illustrate a marked tension between the conflicting frameworks emphasized in our partner PDS site with that offered in our site-based methods courses.
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spelling doaj.art-aa6b1eecd6284cfb999ee41a2c82f8ed2023-06-21T18:19:31ZengPortland State UniversityNorthwest Journal of Teacher Education2638-40352023-06-0118110.15760/nwjte.2023.18.1.3Teaching Content Methods in a High School PDS: Navigating Curricular TensionsRichard Chant0Brian P. Zoellner1University of North FloridaUniversity of North FloridaAs secondary methods instructors, we seek to integrate our courses within the context of our partner high school and to engage its staff in helping prepare our students. State and district mandates, however, often conflict with the pedagogy and content that guides our methods courses. In short, these mandates, whose ultimate goals are to increase student scores on high-stakes tests (especially at Title I schools), frequently do not align with the best practices described in contemporary educational research. In this article, we examine a highly rated unit plan developed by one teacher education candidate within a PDS-based methods course in regards to four theoretical frameworks: The National Council for the Social Studies A Vision of Powerful Teaching and Learning in the Social Studies position statement, Frey and Fisher’s Gradual Release of Learning model, the school district’s curriculum guide, and the PDS site principal’s explicit instructional messaging). The unit plan well supported assumptions posited by the NCSS position statement and the gradual release model, but offered less support for those required in the district curriculum guide or the principal’s message. Our findings illustrate a marked tension between the conflicting frameworks emphasized in our partner PDS site with that offered in our site-based methods courses.https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/40379professional development school (PDS)secondary content methodsschool-university partnerships
spellingShingle Richard Chant
Brian P. Zoellner
Teaching Content Methods in a High School PDS: Navigating Curricular Tensions
Northwest Journal of Teacher Education
professional development school (PDS)
secondary content methods
school-university partnerships
title Teaching Content Methods in a High School PDS: Navigating Curricular Tensions
title_full Teaching Content Methods in a High School PDS: Navigating Curricular Tensions
title_fullStr Teaching Content Methods in a High School PDS: Navigating Curricular Tensions
title_full_unstemmed Teaching Content Methods in a High School PDS: Navigating Curricular Tensions
title_short Teaching Content Methods in a High School PDS: Navigating Curricular Tensions
title_sort teaching content methods in a high school pds navigating curricular tensions
topic professional development school (PDS)
secondary content methods
school-university partnerships
url https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/40379
work_keys_str_mv AT richardchant teachingcontentmethodsinahighschoolpdsnavigatingcurriculartensions
AT brianpzoellner teachingcontentmethodsinahighschoolpdsnavigatingcurriculartensions