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How Three Beginning Social Studies Teachers Enact Personal Practical Theories

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How Three Beginning Social Studies Teachers Enact Personal Practical Theories UNDERSTANDING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BELIEFS ABOUT DEMOCRACY AND PRACTICE: HOW THREE BEGINNING SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHERS ENACT PERSONAL PRACTICAL THEORIES A dissertation submitted to the Kent State University College of Education, Health, and Human Services in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Andrew L. Hostetler August 2012 © Copyright 2012, by Andrew L. Hostetler All Rights Reserved ii A dissertation written by Andrew L. Hostetler B.S., Kent State University, 2002 M.Ed., Ashland University, 2008 Ph.D., Kent State University, 2012 Approved by _________________________, Director, Doctoral Dissertation Committee Alicia R. Crowe _________________________, Member, Doctoral Dissertation Committee Todd S. Hawley _________________________, Member, Doctoral Dissertation Committee Susan V. Iverson Accepted by _________________________, Director, School of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Alexa L. Sandmann Studies _________________________, Dean, College of Education, Health and Human Services Daniel F. Mahony iii HOSTETLER, ANDREW L., Ph.D., August 2012 TEACHING, LEARNING, AND CURRICULUM STUDIES UNDERSTANDING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BELIEFS ABOUT DEMOCRACY AND PRACTICE: HOW THREE BEGINNING SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHERS ENACT PERSONAL PRACTICAL THEORIES (332 pp.) Director of Dissertation: Alicia R. Crowe, Ph.D. This study addressed the gap between teacher beliefs studies that claim beliefs of teachers influence practice and the recommendations for democratic practice presented in much of the literature on democracy in education. A collective case study methodology was selected to explore the processes and ways in which three beginning teachers’ beliefs about democracy in education were related to their teaching behaviors and decision- making. The question guiding this study was, in what ways are these beginning social studies teachers with democratic purposes influenced by their personal practical theories of democracy in the secondary classroom? To address this question, three participants were selected for this study based on the criteria assumed by the questions. Data was collected from in-depth semi-structured interviews, post-observation debriefing interviews, observation field notes, and artifacts from teaching practice. The results of this research included three to five personal practical theories of democracy for each participant, a substantive theory of how these three teachers enacted their personal practical theories of democracy, and three major findings. These findings included: conceptualizing democratic living; mediating factors in the belief-practice dialectic; and purpose and practice in social studies. These results are presented in this dissertation in support of an argument for the need for social studies teacher candidates to engage in a process of refining purpose by exploring beliefs, images, assumptions, and notions of what it means to teach social studies and the potentially problematic concepts in the field of social studies as they relate to practice, namely democracy. Key words: teacher beliefs, democratic education, social studies, citizenship education, beginning teachers, secondary education, purpose in practice, practical inquiry To Claire and Carter iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS There is no way to adequately thank my partner and wife, Claire for her support and love as we shared in the ups and downs of the past four years. Together we have celebrated our professional achievements, and she has endured countless nights of me typing away on the computer and reading a seemingly endless number of articles and books. Since beginning the doctoral program at Kent State we have celebrated the birth of our beautiful son, far and away the happiest moment in my life. When Carter was just four months old, Claire was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer. From November through July she fought through a biopsy, two surgeries, and six heavy doses of chemotherapy, followed by seven weeks of radiation treatment. Through this she worked full-time, taking only a handful of days off for treatment, and though she lost her hair, she never lost her smile. She encouraged me to continue on in the program, to keep going to conferences, and continued to remind me that if we worked hard and stayed focused we would be in a very different place in a few short years, how right she was. Claire’s courage, work ethic, determination, and constant focus on our family’s goals for the future were constant sources of encouragement and motivation for me. She is the toughest, bravest, and most stubborn person I know, so much so that I am convinced when cancer met her, it turned and ran in fear. Thank you, Claire, for your love and support, this would not have been possible without it. Carter, my son, will be three years old this July 18th, 2012. Though he may not remember much of these past few years what we have been through as a family will undoubtedly continue to shape who he is and who he becomes. Even though he may not v realize it, all the nights he went to bed early and mornings he woke up late helped to provide time, and time is necessary for making it through this journey. But more than that, he provided happiness. At a time in our lives that was certainly a roller coaster, Carter provided smiles where there may not have been many smiles, and laughter where there may not have been much laughter. I also must thank my dissertation director, advisor, mentor, and friend Alicia Crowe. She was my undergraduate professor at Kent State and a year after I graduated I sent her an email asking what I would need to do to become a social studies teacher educator. She replied with a brief but specific list of things I should do resulting in applying for a doctoral program. Five years later, I had an admissions interview at Kent State. I admire her for her teaching and scholarship and her ability to offer a scathing critique of my work while at the same time making me feel like it was a good start. Some say my son being born on her birthday represented the ultimate attempt to suck up to my advisor. I admit that was a happy coincidence. But other than family, she was one of the first to make it to the hospital after his birth to celebrate with us. She made habits of getting us all together for good food, pushing us to present at conferences, inviting us to work with her on research, and giving me opportunities to write with her. I have learned so much about what it means to be a mentor, scholar, and teacher under her guidance. Her support personally and professionally has meant so much over the years. I cannot thank Todd Hawley enough for his mentorship and friendship as a teacher and scholar. Through his example he has shown the importance of openness, honesty, and integrity in working as a teacher and scholar. He also taught me how to vi work a conference and invited me to write and present with him. Experiences like these were necessary and I learned a lot. But Todd also taught me the importance of having conversations, and not just formal conversations in sessions at a conference or in a classroom at the University. He showed me the value of getting to know people, of being willing to share ideas, of asking people questions, sometimes difficult ones, but in a way that does not berate or shine a spotlight on them. I have learned and continue to value and learn from Todd as a mentor and friend. I would also like to thank the rest of my dissertation committee, Susan Iverson and David Dees. I have come to realize how much work it is to prepare a dissertation. I appreciate the time and effort all four members of my committee spent reading and questioning my work. Their feedback was extremely helpful, and the final product was certainly a result of their efforts and commitment to this process. I cannot thank my fellow Curriculum & Instruction graduate students enough for their support and the ways they influenced my learning these past five years. I especially need to recognize Bryan Ashkettle, Dru Pifel, Evan Mooney, Katie Knapp, Mike Levicky, and Jeff Drake who have all committed their time and effort as classmates, conference co-presenters, and writing and research partners. Their friendship, support, willingness to work hard, think critically, and have, sometimes, difficult conversations had a huge influence on my learning and shaping my perspectives on teaching social studies. Amber, Katharine, and Mitch, who were participants for this research study, deserve a thank you as well. All three of these social studies teachers are at the beginning vii of their journey in the profession and doing great work as high school teachers. This dissertation would not have been possible without them. I appreciate their willingness to spend time in interviews and allow me to visit their classrooms for observations through most of this school year. This research is a result of their work, thinking, and conversations. Finally, I would like to thank the Panera Bread Company, whose numerous locations, free WiFi, and free coffee refills kept me connected, motivated, and full of caffeine. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page DEDICATION................................................................................................................... iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................. v LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................... xiv LIST OF TABLES...........................................................................................................
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