Transformative Pedagogies in Elementary Teacher Education: Strengthening Social Studies Learning in Primary Schools

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-489-1_83How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Transformative pedagogy; elementary teacher education; Social Studies learning; critical reflection

Abstract

Social Studies (IPS) education in elementary schools plays a strategic role in shaping students’ character, social awareness, and national identity from an early age. However, challenges such as curriculum implementation issues, conventional teaching approaches, and inadequate teacher preparedness often hinder the achievement of these objectives. This article explores the importance of applying transformative pedagogy in elementary teacher education as a strategy to enhance the quality of Social Studies instruction. Transformative pedagogy emphasizes critical reflection, contextual experiences, dialogue, and deep social awareness, enabling teachers to become agents of change in educational practice. Through a literature review and conceptual analysis, this article demonstrates that teacher education based on transformative pedagogy can shape future teachers who not only master Social Studies content cognitively but also possess social sensitivity, critical thinking skills, and contextual pedagogical compe- tence. In the Indonesian context, the implementation of this approach aligns with the spirit of the Merdeka Curriculum, which promotes differentiated, student-centered learning. Therefore, reforms in teacher education especially in the field of Social Stud- ies should focus on strengthening the reflective and critical capacities of pre-service teachers through transformative learning experiences. This article recommends that teacher education institutions (LPTK) integrate transformative pedagogical practices into their curricula, including through social project-based learning, local case studies, and community collaboration. In doing so, future teachers will be better prepared to deliver relevant, contextual, and meaningful Social Studies education for elementary students.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

Download article (PDF)

TY  - CONF
AU  - Mubarok Somantri
AU  - Hany Handayani
AU  - Neni Maulidah
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/11/24
TI  - Transformative Pedagogies in Elementary Teacher Education: Strengthening Social Studies Learning in Primary Schools
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Educational Science and Teacher Education (ICESTE 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 1045
EP  - 1054
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-489-1_83
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-489-1_83
ID  - Somantri2025
ER  -