Critiquing, Curating, and Adapting: Cultivating 21st-Century Critical Curriculum Literacy With Teacher Candidates

Abstract

Teachers commonly use sites such as Pinterest, TeachersPayTeachers.com, and Instagram to support their lesson planning. Developing a critical lens toward the use of these sites in teacher education is imperative, yet little research has been published outlining how this might be done. This study investigates how 44 teacher candidates (TCs) across two methods courses altered their thinking about the use of sites such as Pinterest, TeachersPayTeachers.com, and Instagram after experiencing explicit instruction and practice in 21st-century critical curriculum literacy. Findings indicate that TCs developed a more critical lens toward these sites, yet the inclusion of critical pedagogical content knowledge within 21st-century critical curriculum literacy is essential to develop a critical lens toward specific resources. Implications include how teacher educators might continue to develop 21st-century critical curriculum literacy in TCs and directions for future research.