Alexander Cuenca
School of Education/Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Expert Bio
Alexander Cuenca is an associate professor of curriculum and instruction and coordinator of the Middle and Secondary Social Studies Education Program at Indiana University Bloomington. His research agenda explores how social studies teachers learn, the theory and practice of teacher education, and teacher education policy.
He has served as chair of the task force that developed the National Standards for the Preparation of Social Studies Teachers and is currently a member of National Council for the Social Studies Board of Directors. He has been featured in stories about teaching and teacher education in media outlets such as NPR, St. Louis Public Radio, The Associated Press, St. Louis Post Dispatch and The Indianapolis Star.
His most recent edited book, “Teaching for Citizenship in Urban Schools” (Information Age Press) features strategies that help social studies teachers combine the power of inquiry-driven teaching with a funds-of-knowledge approach to capitalize on the lived civic experiences of urban youth and children.
Before working in higher education, Cuenca was a middle school social studies teacher in Miami, Florida.
Areas of Expertise
Social studies education, civics education, history education, economics education, government education, geography education, teacher preparation, teacher licensure, teacher certification.
Other Information
In the news:
- St. Louis Public Radio: The seven principles that all Missouri teacher evaluations must have in common
- National Council for the Social Studies: Answering Ferguson in the social studies classroom
- St. Louis Post Dispatch: Educators ask: How to teach Ferguson?
- Visions of Education Episode 82: Social Studies Teacher Preparation with Alex Cuenca
- The Indianapolis Star: IU professors: Invest in civic engagement, not a naturalization exam
- EdPrepMatters: Cancel field experiences and student teaching in the fall (and possibly spring)