Social Studies Teacher Educators' Use of the Wise Practice Case Database in Teacher Education Programs
Abstract: Relatively little research has attempted to understand social studies teacher educators’ uses of technologies that are specifically designed for teaching and learning discipline-specific pedagogy and content. The Wise Practice Case Database (WPCD) provides an opportunity to use technology that is specific to social studies teacher education. In order to understand how and why social studies teacher educators used the WPCD, this study collected self-reported uses of instructors in their classes. The results indicate that the cases were used with specific purposes; however, their inconsistent and limited uses may impede pre-service teachers’ learning. In addition, five critical factors associated with their use are identified, and recommendations for how the WPCD can improve and address the needs of social studies teacher educators are also discussed.
Presider: Richard Cooley, Grand Valley State University