Meta-reflexivity and epistemic cognition in social science teacher education

Abstract

Keywords: meta-reflexivity, epistemic reflexivity, epistemic cognition, reflective

practice, social science teacher education

• Social science requires a meta-reflexive approach to teacher education
• Social science teachers manage subject-specific reflective demands
• Meta-reflexivity can be conceptualized using epistemic cognition frameworks
• Epistemic cognition frameworks expand on social science education competence models
• Epistemic cognition gives a new perspective on reflective practice in social science education

Purpose: This article argues that in social science teacher education general demands for teacher reflection overlap with subject-specific reflective demands. This calls for conceptual frameworks that account for an extended reflectivity, encompassing both teacher reflection and the subject-specific approach to representing controversial issues.

Approach: Concepts of reflective practice and meta-reflexivity in teacher education are presented, and a discussion is provided regarding the challenges inherent in teaching social sciences as a multidisciplinary subject. Furthermore, aspects of meta-reflectivity are identified in a German teacher competence framework (PKP). To enable a broader analysis, frameworks from the field of epistemic cognition are introduced.

Findings: Utilizing frameworks of epistemic cognition enables a detailed investigation of how social science teachers manage subject-specific challenges. Epistemic reflexivity offers a concept of teacher reflection that enables a new perspective on connecting theoretical reflection in pre-service teacher education programs with later reflective practice.