Edric Johnson a leader in social studies teacher education
Released: April 02, 2008
A new professor in the College of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is helping future social studies teachers strive to do their best in the field. Edric C. Johnson, assistant professor of social studies education, is a leader in social studies teacher education at the international, national and state level.
"I care about student teacher?s perceptions of the social and political challenges they may face in social studies education," Johnson said. "My area of research focuses on how student teachers overcome these challenges and rise above them."
Johnson will present his article, "Seeking Freire's Theory on Critical Consciousness: A Look at One Preservice Teacher's Field Experiences," at the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry Conference in May 2008 at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
This article was published in the international refereed journal Curriculum and Teaching. The article examines one student teacher's ability to develop and use critical literacy approaches in the middle school social studies curriculum to help her understanding and skills as an educator.
Johnson's research examines the development of critical literacy for student teachers, relevant support systems and pedagogies (the art or science of teaching). Critical literacy provides students not only with functional skills, but with the conceptual tools necessary to critique society along with its inequalities and injustices.
Along those same lines, he was also selected to contribute to the first volume of "Social study and diversity teacher education: What we do and why we do it." The book features the best ideas from 78 of the nation's most thoughtful social studies and multicultural education professors. It reflects on best practices and offers specific strategies to other higher education professionals. Johnson's contribution extends the notion of what it means to know history through oral history interview investigation and performance interpretation.
Additionally, Johnson, along with UW-Whitewater Professor James Hartwick, co-chairs on Higher Education Consortium for the Wisconsin Council for Social Studies (WCSS). This organization consists of social studies teacher education faculty from around the state who discuss issues affecting social studies teacher education in Wisconsin.
Johnson joined the UW-Whitewater faculty in fall 2006. He has taught at Ohio State University, as well as local middle and elementary schools. At UW-Whitewater, he teaches education majors. He received his Ph.D. from Ohio State University, graduate degrees from UW-Madison and Western Michigan University, and his undergraduate degree from Central Michigan University.
- Ashley Jones,jonesac08@uww.edu
