| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立台北師範學院 === 課程與教學研究所 === 91 === My Conscientization：
A Narrative Inquiry of an Elementary School Teacher telling stories about Infusing Social Events in Social Studies Curriculum
Abstract
By the use of a narrative inquiry approach, this study is about the stories narrated by an elementary teacher who, through the practice and reflection on infusing social events in social studies curriculum, with well preparation before the class, the process of teaching and the evaluation after the teaching, continuously encountered a series of inner dialogues and impacts and looked for the conscientization of transforming the society and criticizing the release of social order and morals.
In the stories the teacher infused the issues of warfare, politics, unemployment, desire, life and death, environmental protection, sovereignty, globalization, SARS and so on in his teaching of social studies curriculum. He disclosed his confusions, difficulties, impact, conflicts, inspiration and awareness that he faced while doing the field study; he shared the experience of discussion with his students in infusing social events and issues in class; he analyzed and probed the difficulties and the coping strategies while carrying out the experiment. Through this two-year experiments, the researcher gradually acquired some applicable teaching procedures and experiences.
The researcher infuses social events in the course of social studies curriculum for their characteristics of variations, freshness, handiness, leading to profound thinking and drawing people’s attention, and the core issues of social events often get strongly related to course objectives. Standing at the intersection where all kinds of mediums existed everywhere in our society, people’s rationality and soul have been challenged all the time by chats and rumors spreading over the crowds; therefore, the researcher raises this question: how can a teacher expect the students to become citizens with the abilities of critical and independent thinking in the new age, if he couldn’t ponder and reflect on the hidden values and beliefs, the oppression of power and the control of the culture behind the unhealthy social phenomena; if he couldn’t encounter the battle and calmly face the confusions and disturbance due to the powerful infusion; if he couldn’t guide the students to see through these diverse and confusing information, false values and beliefs reproduction which have been filled in every corner in the society？
Through the reflections and the practice, the researcher gains some practical experiences and discoveries as well as understanding and belief of the perception and awareness in the teaching of social studies. In regard to what social events to choose, we have to pay attention to the relationships between social events and the course as well as to consider the conflicts and extending influence that social events bring about. We have to be aware of our own belief and standpoint as well as students’ understanding and autonomy while incorporating social events in class. Frequently used teaching procedures include apprehending the course syllabus, focusing on the events, preparation before the class, forming the atmosphere of asking questions and discussion, the review and reflection after the class, etc. Frequently used teaching strategies include the application of media, acting out, cross debates, oral presentations, endless citing, continuous concern and so on. There are at least three models of incorporation: the use of themes, the use of supplements, and the use of two ways of tracking. The difficulties that the researcher often encounters are the control of time and objectives, the maintenance of the atmosphere, and the tracking of the standpoint, the values and beliefs.
In the process of conscientization, the criticism starts sprouting and the reflections keep going through the researcher’s exploration, decoding and conversations of social events. Because of the conscientization, the researcher is transformed and gains the opportunities of practice. The researcher thinks that being conscientization is a state of perceiving the power relationships between authorities, an awareness of the cultural context and types of ideology, and the sincerity to questioning and examining oneself as well as the courage to release oneself. The conscientization takes place when a person sincerely faces the situation and humbly examines himself at each social event. Through the critical thinking within the cultural context, a person at the present position keeps examining who he was in the past and foreseeing who he will be in the future. The researcher looks for the logical meaning of his existence in the back and forth thinking process. The conscientization exits in each inspiration and practice. They can only be experienced but not owned; they are inner operations, spiritual leaps and twists; they cannot be understood and observed from overt phenomena.
The researcher concludes that the process of conscientization is a discourse between conscience and desire, the struggling between the criticism to the release of morals and the gained benefits, the tug-of-war between vigorous creativity and unhealthy traditions. Conscientization is to sincerely discover the meaning of life. The researcher believes that his conscientization exits in the lines of this study, in every motions and actions that take place in his real life. This research is a journey of discovering what has been lost and looking for oneself. In this journey, researcher finds that the “sincerity” is his map, “reflection” is his compass, and “conscientization” is the start as well as the end. Moreover, it is his good teacher as well as a nice friend who gives him companionship, brings him brightness and warmth, and offers him good advises and suggestions in needed time.
Key word： conscientization、social events、social studies curriculum、narrative inquiry
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