”Intressant, relevant och medborgarbildande!” Ämneslärarstudenter i samhällskunskap om sitt ämne när de påbörjar sina studier

The aim of the study is to explore pre-service teachers' subject knowledge in social studies prior to becoming enrolled in teacher education. Pre-service teachers from five different cohorts spanning the years 2017–2021 were invited to fill out a questionnaire regarding their subject knowledge of social studies. A total of 69 out of 78 (88,5 %) students responded to the questionnaire and the results are presented thematically. It becomes apparent that most students have a basic understanding of the academic content of the social studies subject based on the sub-disciplines that the subject is commonly said to consist of, as well as the ranking of which sub-disciplines are considered more central based on previous research. However, based on the responses, it also appears that a non-negligible portion of students seem to have a rather vague preunderstanding of what the social studies subject is or can be. On a collective level, the knowledge mission, with all its dimensions as previously identified in research, predominantly shapes how students recognize the subject. What also emerges from the results is that subject teacher education students, like previous research, demonstrate that they are driven by internal motivational factors with altruistic characteristics. The study thus contributes to an understanding of where university studies in social studies needs to begin to build on students' current understanding of the subject they are about to pursue in their education and, subsequently, in their professional careers as subject teachers.