Institutional Control of Social Studies Teaching as Phronesis: A Multi-Case Study

This paper presents findings from a multi-case study of social studies educators which focused on the impact of institutional requirements on social studies teaching as phronesis. The concept of phronesis, or practical wisdom of human values, occupies a central space in this study, acting as both the theoretical and methodological framework. As a theoretical framework, Aristotle's articulation of phronesis, and its distinction from the intellectual states of episteme and techne, guided the development of research questions and acted as an entry point for analysis of participant data concerning the impact of school-based requirements on social studies teaching As a methodological framework this study is grounded in Flyvbjerg's (2001) argument for a "phronetic social science," which envisions social science work as contributing to dialogue about human values, rather than a vain attempt of strict prediction and explanation. I merge these considerations with the value and utility of qualitative case study, which functions as the study design. Based on this framing I sought to gain an in-depth understanding of the role that schools play in the development or control of teacher's practical wisdom and socially-minded educational goals. Answers to this question are discussed through the examination of four different cases of social studies teachers from Alabama. Through a thematic analysis of qualitative data, I illustrate that institutional teaching requirements largely constrained "phronetic" possibilities for social studies education. The major findings indicate that, rather than supporting professional teacher judgments and fostering socially conscious goals, school-based requirements pushed participants to implement technical pedagogies in order to meet pre-determined outcomes. I conclude with a discussion that critically evaluates the nature of contemporary educational reform and considers the place of social studies in this climate. Keywords: Phronesis, Episteme, Techne, Phronetic Social Science, Case Study This paper presents selected findings from a larger multi-case study examining the ways that institutional job requirements impact the ability of social studies educators to teach for socially valuable purposes. Specifically, it investigates the role that such requirements play in the development or prevention of phronesis, or practical wisdom. Drawing from Aristotle's (2000) articulation of this ancient concept, many scholars have incorporated phronesis as a framework for analyzing and critiquing a wide range of educational topics in both empirical and philosophical studies (Birmingham, 2004; Eisner, 2002; Field & Latta, 2001; Halverson, 2004; Melville, Campbell, Fazio, & Bartley, 2012; Noel, 1999). In his discussion of arete, or virtue, Aristotle distinguishes between the intellectual states of episteme, techne, and phronesis. Briefly, episteme is scientific knowledge, techne is productive knowledge or skill, and phronesis is practical knowledge, "concerned with what is good and bad for a human being" (p. 107). After discussing these states in more detail in the next section, I briefly pull from contemporary educational scholarship to argue that phronesis, with its practical consideration of human values, corresponds with the strength of social studies as a content area that requires contextual judgments and, particularly, value rationality. Thus, it is important to understand if educational institutions foster or hinder the development of phronesis among social studies educators, how this occurs, and what implications this has for social studies and teacher education in general. With this guiding framework in mind, the intent of the study was to investigate more specifically how institutional job requirements (e.g., meeting pre-determined curricular objectives, incorporating literacy standards, etc.) impacted the ability of social studies educators to engage in "phronetic" understandings of teaching. …