Using a Participatory Culture-Specific Model to Increase the Effectiveness of Social Justice Courses in School Psychology

Abstract

The Participatory Culture-Specific Model of Course Development (PCSMCD), adapted from the Participatory Culture-Specific Intervention Model, is a proposed framework to address challenges to social justice education by addressing the following four course variables: instructor characteristics, instructor experiences, student characteristics, and student experiences. This article proposes a new model through which qualitative and survey culture-specific data related to the 4 variables are collected at the onset of the course and incorporated into every phase of course development and implementation. Obtaining and utilizing data about student and instructor characteristics and experiences facilitates both culture specificity and ensure that the course content and process are both appropriate and acceptable for students and instructors. This article proposes the 10-phase PCSMCD as it would look during course development and implementation, and provides social justice resources and activities specific to school psychology in order to increase the effectiveness of social justice education within the field.

Keywords:

• Course development
• culture specificity
• school psychology
• social justice
• university training