Student teaching is the most powerful experience in the preservice preparation of teachers. Researchers have noted that during the student teaching experience, the norms of the university are quickly supplanted by the norms of the public school. This research is designed to examine the perspective that student teachers adopt toward teaching social studies in elementary schools. Particular concerns include: (1) the students' definitions of the purpose of social studies; (2) their views of the relative status of social studies in the elementary curriculum; and (3) the students' views of their cooperating teachers. The sample of students interviewed for this study consists of elementary education majors from two universities who had completed student teaching and who had taught at least one social studies unit. It was found that most of the students recognized the relationship of social studies to citizenship, but they interpreted good citizenship to be synonymous with classroom demeanor and deportment. Most of the students learned through student teaching that social studies is a low priority subject, approached less than enthusiastically by cooperating teachers and not prized by the school. Students' opinions of cooperating teachers were positive, and these teachers were viewed as sources of critical knowledge. Those educators in charge of preservice teachers should give greater attention to student teaching and how social studies is viewed in the schools. Careful attention should be given to the selection of cooperating teachers. (SM)