Today's preservice teachers must be well prepared to provide elementary social studies methods instruction to students. The United States and its democracy are constantly evolving and in continuous need of citizens who can adapt its enduring traditions and values to meet these changes. However, with the increased emphasis on raising test scores and the decline of instructional time for elementary social studies classes, citizenship education has not been fully integrated into elementary social studies. Preservice educators who will become future teachers are in a unique position to educate their future students to become effective and responsible citizens. This qualitative research study examined the manner in which preservice elementary social studies teachers are prepared for professional practice to promote the development of elementary students to become responsible citizens. Study participants included preservice elementary social studies methods students, as well as their elementary social studies professors' from the 2008 Fall and 2009 Spring elementary social studies methods courses from a sample of Kansas colleges and universities who offer elementary education teacher licensure programs that include a required elementary social studies methods course. The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to examine preservice social studies teachers' perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs concerning their role in promoting and teaching citizenship education, and (2) to examine the elementary social studies professors' role in preparing the preservice elementary social studies teachers to integrate citizenship education during the elementary social studies methods course of the teacher preparation program. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]