Australian Journal of Teacher Education
Abstract
The education system is still important for establishing and maintaining democracy in society. In relation to this, it is reasonable to suggest that teachers’ different interpretations of their mission to teach for democracy will influence their teaching practices. The purpose of this paper is to shed light on student teachers’ task perceptions as a dimension of their professional role to teach for democracy in school. An analysis of Swedish student teachers’ course texts written as an assignment during a course focusing on democracy is conducted using critical discourse analysis as an analytical tool. The task perceptions are described according to two main discourses: as narrow and broad approaches to teaching for democracy. These two approaches are further analyzed in terms of two corresponding strategies for teacher professionalism: outside-in professionalism and inside-out professionalism. The result partly confirms earlier studies of student teachers, where narrow approaches to democracy have been found to be most common.
Recommended Citation
Edling, S., & Liljestrand, J. (2018). Student teachers’ task perceptions of democracy in their future profession – a critical discourse analysis of students’ course texts. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 43(7). https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2018v43n7.5