Straight to the Sources: Analyzing Elementary Preservice Teacher Planning for Inquiry

Abstract

Through a multiphase coding process, the researchers examined the selection, characteristics, and planned use of 111 written, visual, oral, and material sources that preservice teachers incorporated into plans for inquiry-based elementary social studies instruction. Preservice teachers identified Google as their main tool for locating potential sources, selected far more secondary than primary sources, and varied widely in how they prepared sources for elementary students. Planned use of sources focused almost entirely on identifying key details, with limited opportunities designed for students to contextualize sources, examine bias, or corroborate evidence. Implications for teacher education related to source selection and analysis are discussed.