“…Kemmis, Cole and Suggett's (1983) three orientations to curriculum and Starr's (1991) discussion of social justice provide the context for problematising middle schooling philosophies and practices. In common with most literature on middle schooling, prospective middle school teachers in the program usually adopt progressive stances (Whitehead 2005a(Whitehead , 2005b. Given the aforementioned need for advocacy, a teacher education program that enables prospective middle school teachers to clarify their positions and empowers them to critique contesting stances is crucial to the growth of middle schooling (Bartolome 2004, Beane 2005, Poplin & Rivera 2005).…”