“Promoting Acceptance” or “Preparing Warrior Scholars”: Variance in Teaching for Social Justice Vision and Praxis

Abstract

A growing body of research explores theoretical models of teaching for social justice in P-12 classrooms and in teacher education. However, many of these models fail to account for the relationship between teachers’ social justice frameworks and their classroom practices. In this article, I use vignettes drawn from a recent study of secondary English Language Arts teachers to illustrate how differences in social location and sociopolitical emphasis affect teachers’ approaches to justice-oriented curriculum, pedagogy, and social action. This article concludes with implications for teaching and teacher education, including strategies for using these findings in preservice classrooms.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Alison G. Dover

Alison G. Dover is an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Inquiry and Curriculum Studies at Northeastern Illinois University. Her teaching and research examines approaches to enacting justice in P-12 and teacher education, critical literacy, and the relationship between equity-oriented teacher preparation and P-12 student outcomes.