Social studies education has traditionally aimed to foster productive citizens. However, recent societal polarizations have added complexity to this objective (Levy et al., 2023). Amid these challenges, understanding remains limited regarding how teacher preparation programs are adapting their social studies methods curriculum. Grounded in Thornton's (1991) curricular-instructional gatekeeping and Avery's (2003b) implications for civic education in social studies teacher education, this dissertation addressed three research questions: (1) How do social studies teacher educators understand civic competence?, (2) How do social studies teacher educators' approach and incorporate civic competence in their teacher preparation curriculum?, and (3) How do social studies teacher educators see the future of social studies teacher preparation? This qualitative study explored the choices and perspectives of seven Ohio-based social studies teacher educators. Participants were interviewed about their understanding of civic competence, its inclusion in their methods curriculum, and their vision social studies' future. In addition, relevant course materials and methods course syllabi were shared by the participants. Data, including interview responses and shared materials were analyzed using codebooks based on the NCSS (2018) definition of civic competence and Avery's (2003b) implications. Findings revealed that the teacher educators largely align with the NCSS (2018) civic competence definition, emphasizing political knowledge. When controlling the curricular-instructional gate, these teacher educators incorporated civic competence primarily through instructional modeling and facilitating discussions on civic and controversial issues. Absent, whether intentionally or not, were ideas pertaining to global citizenship, diversity, equity, inclusion, and informed action. When discussing the future of social studies methods, concerns about the lack of inclusion of global civic education and the impact of state legislative decisions were mentioned. Further research should delve into the observation of civic instructional strategies in social studies methods and how teacher educators are incorporating themes of diversity, equity, inclusion, and global citizenship within their methods courses. Consequently, stakeholders in the educational community should advocate for enriched professional development for social studies teacher educators to deepen their understanding of civic principles, but also expand their repertoire of curricular approaches. In turn, this can have a lasting impact on further impacting future generations of teachers and students. [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://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]