RESEARCH AGENDA: FALL 1999
 
Most generally, I am interested in how curriculum theory, design, and implementation are
effected by contemporary experiences, and how these factors influence pedagogical practices.
I am very interested in critical efficacy.  The term critical efficacy is one I developed in my
dissertation to describe a reconceptualized paradigm for contemporary education.  The classic
paradigm (based on John Dewey’s three fundamental factors of the educative process: organized
subject matter, the learners, and society) is proving insufficient for understanding and developing
discourse regarding education in the postindustrial era.  The reconceptualized paradigm  I propose
adds the three tenets of critical efficacy (technology and technorealism, popular culture, and global
education) to the classic paradigm.

The role of technology in teacher education in general, and with a specific social studies focus, is
one area of research I have been pursuing.  To date, I have coauthored four articles on the subject.
I, along with my advisor, received two grants to study ways to incorporate technology in teaching
the new state mandated curriculum, the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Most of my
observations regarding technology and teacher education has been through my involvement with the
PUMA program at the University of Houston.  PUMA provides authentic environments (actual
classrooms within area schools) for the methods classes for pre-service teachers.  These methods
classes are taken the semester immediately preceding a semester of student teaching.  The authentic
environment provides an opportunity for me to see how technology is being used (or if it is being
used).  My observations have shown that there are often problems associated with the incorporation,
or integration, of technology into not only the grade-school classrooms, but the teacher education
classrooms as well.  From my research and experiences I developed and presented a paper on the
issue of technorealism in teacher education at the Association of Teacher Educators (ATE)
conference in February 1999. The resulting article, with a social studies focus, was published by
Computers in Social Studies in July 1999.  Another article, also dealing with the issue of
technorealism but in a general context, is under consideration by the Journal of Technology and
Teacher Education.

Another aspect of the contemporary experience I am focusing on is popular culture.  In
November 1999, I presented a paper at the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)
conference entitled: Tuning In: Making Popular Culture Work in  Social Studies.  I think that this
is the most important aspect of my research today, and it is a central strand in my dissertation.  I am
currently revising my conference paper to submit for publication.

I have also been involved with the Houston-Japan Project which took a group of grade-school
teachers from the Houston metroplex to Japan.  This effort was designed to give teachers an authentic
base from which to construct new curriculum on Japan and the Asian Pacific-Rim.  The results of this
study were presented at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) conference in April
1999.  Another global education project I am working on (pending funding) is the Civic Education
Project in the country of Georgia in the summer of 2000.  This program would be funded through a
grant by USAID and be administered by the University of Houston.

These tenets of critical efficacy: technology and technorealism, popular culture, and global education
emphasize authentic experiences.  These experiences have special meaning in an area like Houston.
The Houston metroplex  provides an exceptional setting in which to explore the exigencies of an urban,
multicultural student base.