Bowling together: Cultivating communities of practice in English and social studies teacher education
Abstract
In this paper, we describe our most recent inquiry into how we can best encourage the preservice teachers with whom we work to bowl together—across disciplines—in a professional context where most teachers continue to go bowling alone (e.g., Lortie, 1975) Specifically we wondered: 1. How, if at all, does interdisciplinary work in the context of a teacher education program influence preservice English and social studies teachers’ thinking and actions regarding teaching? 2. How, if at all, does interdisciplinary work in the context of a teacher education program encourage the formation and maintenance of communities of practice?
Reference
Spalding, Elizabeth, and Angene H. Wilson. Bowling together: Spalding, E., & Wilson, A. H. (2006). Bowling together: Cultivating communities of practice in English and social studies teacher education. English Education, 38(2), 102-122.
Journal
English Education
Analysis
Is this article part of a larger project or series of studies?
no
Does this study draw on a large, preexisting data set?
no
Research Approach
Geographic Setting
Institutional Context
Certification Level
Programatic Focus
Research Location Context
- Interdisciplinary seminar
Preservice Participants
- certification program
- Graduate Students
- Masters
Preservice Sample Size
55
Duration of Data Collection
Data Sources
- admit and exit slips
- Autobiographies
- curriculum maps
- Interviews
- Reading Responses
- reflections
Data Analysis Tools
Researcher Positionality
- inside (staying their own students)
Research Questions
How, if at all, does interdisciplinary work in the context of a teacher education program influence preservice English and social studies teachers’ thinking and actions regarding teaching?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes
How, if at all, does interdisciplinary work in the context of a teacher education program encourage the formation and maintenance of communities of practice?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes