Chapter 3: Social Studies Teacher Education in an Era of Globalization

In this chapter, the author suggests some of the understandings pre-service teachers should develop, and the experiences they should have, in order to nurture the civic identity of young people in a multicultural, pluralistic, globally interdependent society. The author discusses two models of “good citizens,” one more traditional and one more future-oriented, and describes her conceptualization of the “good citizen.” It is argued that the gap between the characteristics of the ideal citizen (both traditional and future-oriented) and the characteristics of the young people today, as suggested by the research, best informs those interested in the preparation of social studies teachers.