(Re)Writing the Script: Social Heteroglossia in an Urban Teacher Education Program

This study examines social studies teacher education through the lens of social heteroglossia, investigating the "script" of a critical teacher education program and the "counterscript" generated by preservice teachers (PSTs). Through interviews with PSTs and professors, course observations, and document analysis conducted in Spring 2024, researchers found significant alignment in program goals but disparities in execution. While both groups embraced criticality, PSTs experienced a theory-practice divide between university learning and school placement experiences. The program prioritized critical theory while PSTs sought more practical preparation for classroom realities. This bifurcation created parallel discourses—an official script emphasizing criticality and theory, and a counterscript revealing PSTs' pragmatic concerns. The study suggests bridging these scripts through increased communication, horizontal expertise, and professor involvement in placement sites. By acknowledging the counterscript and supporting PSTs' emerging praxis, teacher education programs can better prepare critical educators to navigate today's challenging political climate.