Philosophy for Teachers (p4t)): A Study of the Philosophy for Children Hawai`i (p4cHI) Educational Framework Applied in Pre-Service Teacher Education

Teacher candidates enter into teacher education programs with perceptions toward learning, teaching, and education due to societal influences as well as their own educative experiences. The foundations of a teacher education course can also greatly influence the development of teacher candidates' own pedagogical approaches. It is for these reasons that this study explores how socially-constructed perceptions of education contribute to the development of teacher candidates' emerging teacher identities and philosophies of education. To more deeply understand the impact teacher education courses can have on teacher candidates, this dissertation explores a specific educational approach, philosophy for children (p4cHI), used in pre-service teacher education courses, to understand the impact the approach has on teacher candidates' mindsets toward teaching and education.;The literature review explores the background, philosophical foundations and practices of p4cHI and the aims of a philosopher's pedagogy while also reviewing social constructs inherent in various teacher education programs. The phenomenological lens in alignment with a crystallization framework provide an in-depth analysis of what happens in teacher education courses taught through philosopher's pedagogies. The evidence demonstrates both positive impacts and challenges of participating in a teacher education course taught through a philosopher's pedagogy. Although there was a strong appreciation for the p4cHI approach, the evidence revealed a conflict between teacher candidates' desire to use a p4cHI approach as part of their own developing pedagogies and socially-constructed perceptions of the expectations of teaching.