Florida Pre-Service Teachers' and Their Attitudes Towards the Use of Controversial Issues

• Other Authors: Rambosk, Peggy (authoraut)
• Format: Others
• Language: English; English
• Published: Florida State University
• Subjects: Teachers > Training of
• Online Access: http://purl.flvc.org/fsu/fd/FSU_migr_etd-2134

The purpose of this attitudinal study is to investigate the role that social studies methods courses in Florida play in examining controversial issues with their pre-service teachers'. Five research questions established the parameters for the investigation of pre-service teachers' attitudes toward the use of controversial issues through the utilization of a survey instrument, the Florida Pre-Service Teachers' Controversial Issues Questionnaire (FPTCIQ). The FPTCIQ was mailed to 435 pre-service teachers enrolled in social studies methods courses at the Florida State University, the University of North Florida, and the University of South Florida. Of the 435 pre-service teachers' in social studies methods courses, 203 respondents returned the FPTCIQ with a 47% response rate. The FPTCIQ is comprised of questions that asked respondents to rank the controversiality of thirty issues. The FPTCIQ also measured pre-service teachers' awareness of issues taught in their social studies methods courses, pre-service teachers' willingness to discuss issues in their future classrooms, pre-service teachers' reasons for not discussing issues, and pre-service teachers' belief in traditional socio-political values. Pre-Service teachers' were asked questions about how much time they spent examining controversial issues in their social studies methods course, and should pre-service teachers' participate in the discussion of controversial issues in these courses. Demographic characteristics of respondents' included gender, religious affiliation, ethnicity, and region/locale of the university attending were also recorded. Respondents rank gay/lesbian rights as the most controversial issue. In addition, pre-service teachers' were less willing to teach about creationism than other issues and listed external pressures as the primary reason. Only 32% of the respondents discussed controversial issues in their social studies methods course. After the findings were statistically analyzed and cross-sectioned with the research questions, the demographic characteristics comprising all participants in this study was correlated and analyzed. === A Dissertation Submitted to the the School of Teacher Education in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophyin Partial Fulfillment of the Degree Awarded: Spring Semester, 2011. === Spring Semester, 2011. === January 31, 2011. === Social Studies Methods Classes, Controversial Issues, Florida Preservice Teachers === Includes bibliographical references. === John P. Lunstrum, Professor Directing Dissertation; Edward Wynot, Committee Member; Helge Swanson, Committee Member.