Discussing Controversial Issues in Teacher Education: An Analysis of the Research Approaches in Hess and Pace

Abstract

　　This study examined the inclusion of discussions on controversial issues in teacher education in the United States. Specifically, this study examined the research of Hess (2001), who developed effective controversial issue discussion teaching methods, and Pace (2019), who compared global controversial issue discussion teaching methods by teacher educators. The research analysis identified the key areas that need to be included in teacher training to ensure teachers gain knowledge about controversial citizenship issues in Japan (for example, nuclear power generation and tax system). It was concluded that to ensure that controversial issues are discussed in teacher education courses, there needs to be a shift from skills development to strategy development. These studies are important references for the inclusion of citizenship education in teacher training courses in Japan.