'I Was Kind of Teaching Myself': Teachers' Conversations about Social Justice and Teaching for Change
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| Title: | 'I Was Kind of Teaching Myself': Teachers' Conversations about Social Justice and Teaching for Change |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Burke, Anne, Collier, Diane R. |
| Source: | Teacher Development. 2017 21(2):269-287. |
| Availability: | Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 19 |
| Publication Date: | 2017 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Secondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Social Justice, Inquiry, Childrens Literature, Teacher Attitudes, Professional Education, Critical Literacy, Communities of Practice, Action Research, Case Studies, Critical Theory, Clubs, Secondary School Teachers, Focus Groups, Interviews, Meetings, Observation, Citizenship, Global Education, Educational Practices, Foreign Countries |
| Geographic Terms: | Canada |
| DOI: | 10.1080/13664530.2016.1235607 |
| ISSN: | 1366-4530 |
| Abstract: | This article shares teachers' conversations within teacher inquiry groups and considers how this reflective approach has potential for transforming teachers' practices. Conversations took place at the early stages of a longer teacher inquiry project and centred on the critical interrogation of social justice-oriented children's literature. These conversations served as a forum to help teacher professional learning communities and to reconcile understandings about social justice, action and agency within larger political and cultural forums of teaching. The teacher inquiry sessions shared in this paper explore teachers' beginning struggles with conceptualizations of social justice, and the teacher's role in imparting values to students. Teacher participants imparted their experience and practice as they negotiated their own understanding and implementation of social justice education in their schools. The teacher inquiry groups provided a needed supportive space where classroom teachers' struggles were shared alongside their beliefs and pedagogical approaches so that a social justice agenda could be achieved. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Number of References: | 53 |
| Entry Date: | 2017 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1129613 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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| FullText | Links: – Type: pdflink Url: https://content.ebscohost.com/cds/retrieve?content=AQICAHj0k_4E0hTGH8RJwT4gCJyBsGNe_WN95AvKlDbXJGqwxwHHmyRsf6_kwDEPGXpClHSaAAAA4zCB4AYJKoZIhvcNAQcGoIHSMIHPAgEAMIHJBgkqhkiG9w0BBwEwHgYJYIZIAWUDBAEuMBEEDLIuA6waNis9sP0QzAIBEICBm3ma8cao7cc-84c5_bjeGzVwtM1s33sAkS44mvLkIbTQSwYyGOYlp_Ud8vyaYCf9bOhdsiAcPZYYtwsvuti5PnlaaulMARTjo8WnlvT4H4k4K-UvAC6rks6zed0_2bFBRIlwjlfIh8f8gRiyjur94mnPWdqry8SA_r1FAlt8xuRCtgXXcDFWj0VxRQHXWonfcc0PeeH1QOLj5uh8 Text: Availability: 1 Value: <anid>AN0121245940;ntd01apr.17;2019Mar14.13:16;v2.2.500</anid> <title id="AN0121245940-1">‘I was kind of teaching myself’: teachers’ conversations about social justice and teaching for change. </title> <p>This article shares teachers' conversations within teacher inquiry groups and considers how this reflective approach has potential for transforming teachers' practices. Conversations took place at the early stages of a longer teacher inquiry project and centred on the critical interrogation of social justice-oriented children's literature. These conversations served as a forum to help teacher professional learning communities and to reconcile understandings about social justice, action and agency within larger political and cultural forums of teaching. The teacher inquiry sessions shared in this paper explore teachers' beginning struggles with conceptualizations of social justice, and the teacher's role in imparting values to students. Teacher participants imparted their experience and practice as they negotiated their own understanding and implementation of social justice education in their schools. The teacher inquiry groups provided a needed supportive space where classroom teachers' struggles were shared alongside their beliefs and pedagogical approaches so that a social justice agenda could be achieved.</p> <p>Keywords: teacher inquiry; social justice; curriculum; children's literature; professional learning</p> <p>The quotation, 'I was kind of teaching myself' was shared by Karen[<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref1">1</reflink>], a Grade 6[<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref2">2</reflink>] teacher, during our teacher inquiry group, which was focused on the use of children's literature to teach issues of social justice. Her admission voiced the concerns of many teachers in the group about their lack of expertise and familiarity with social issues explored by the children's literature that we discussed in our group, and, in this case, residential schooling.[<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref3">3</reflink>] The book we were discussing was <emph>Shin</emph>-<emph>Chi's Canoe</emph> ([<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref4">11</reflink>]), written by Nicola Campbell and illustrated by Kim Lafave, which describes a fictional account of an aboriginal child's experience of being removed from his family and placed in a Christian boarding school. In conversations like these, teachers' comments often positioned them as learners, alongside, rather than in front of, their students.</p> <p>In this paper, we examine the developing and working conceptualizations of what social justice might look like in a teacher inquiry group and in participant teachers' daily classroom teaching. We explore the kinds of issues and engagement that are possible when using children's literature as a way of interacting with students around issues of social justice. We employ Cochran-Smith's ([<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref5">12</reflink>]) metaphor of 'walking the road' to describe 'how teachers make sense of it [social justice] – how they struggle to think about and understand what they are doing' (<reflink idref="bib82" id="ref6">82</reflink>). Alongside the metaphor of 'walking the road', we explore how the teachers in this group both recognized and resisted change as they worked towards critical work with children's literature as a vehicle for social justice teaching. Teachers in the inquiry group read 'Chapter 4: Race, Diversity, and Social Justice in Teacher Education' from Cochran-Smith's ([<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref7">12</reflink>]) <emph>Walking the Road: Race, Diversity, and Social Justice in Teacher Education</emph> and Pierce's ([<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref8">37</reflink>]) article, 'Recognizing and Resisting Change: A Teacher's Professional Journey', in preparation for the discussions that are part of the analysis and arguments presented here.</p> <hd id="AN0121245940-2">Teacher inquiry, social justice, critical literacy and children's literature</hd> <p>In the section that follows, we provide an overview of teacher inquiry and its potential for transforming teaching practice, its intersections with social justice, and how the use of children's literacy and a critical literacy approach might help all teachers, in a range of contexts and national settings, investigate and learn about social issues alongside their students and each other.</p> <hd id="AN0121245940-3">Teacher inquiry groups and professional learning communities</hd> <p>Communities of practice, a concept developed by Lave and Wenger ([<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref9">22</reflink>]), are found everywhere in daily life whether at work, school, home or in our civic and leisure activities. A combination of three dimensions – domain, community and practice – defines a community of practice. The domain is defined by shared interests, commitments and competencies; the community encompasses interactions and information sharing such as discussion and shared activities; and the practice is also shared – where community members use similar resources, shared stories, problems and cases. Teacher inquiry groups can become a kind of community of practice where the combined perspectives and expertise enhance the learning of all members involved.</p> <p>Many teachers are familiar with working in professional learning communities, in a kind of community of practice. Every province in Canada uses the term <emph>professional learning community</emph> (PLC) in their education strategies and views the 'PLCs [as] central to school improvement and reform initiatives and is, in fact, the primary de facto operative educational reform policy' (Riveros, Newton, and Burgess [<reflink idref="bib39" id="ref10">39</reflink>], 204). They argue that creating strong, effective professional learning communities develops shared understandings and purposes and that, 'the change that professional learning communities propose is not necessarily a transformation of the organizational structures, but a change of the way teachers understand their professional practice – a change of the teachers' attitudes towards organizational goals' (<reflink idref="bib207" id="ref11">207</reflink>). We submit that educators need to understand the intended purposes of professional learning communities, their roles, and their benefits to students, school and community. At the same time, we are aware that the term <emph>professional learning community</emph> may mean different things to different people. In fact, DuFour ([<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref12">15</reflink>]) argues that the term <emph>professional learning community</emph> 'has been used so ubiquitously that it is in danger of losing all meaning' (<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref13">6</reflink>). In order to ensure the continued success of PLCs, and learning within PLCs, DuFour recommends that educators continue to reflect on the manner in which both student learning and teacher collaboration are incorporated in the larger school culture. In the current study, teachers are encouraged to reflect on their role in sharing and imparting values within the inquiry group and with the children in their classrooms.</p> <p>A key component of this case study of teacher inquiry is the provision of space and time for teachers to talk about, reflect upon and even change their conceptions and classroom actions regarding social justice (Prestridge [<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref14">38</reflink>]). Those who are involved benefit from an inquiry community, where the combined knowledge of the group helps both individuals and the group. In our inquiry sessions, shared values were discussed as teachers struggled with conceptualizations of social justice, and the teacher's role in imparting values with students. Regardless of these struggles, we found teachers in our inquiry group saw value in working towards social justice goals, and voiced beliefs and ways of doing things by working together towards these goals.</p> <hd id="AN0121245940-4">Connecting the case study to action research and social justice</hd> <p>Action research provides an avenue for the investigation of a classroom setting for teachers, researchers and administrators. Teachers' research changes in classroom practice and behaviours (Schmuck [<reflink idref="bib43" id="ref15">43</reflink>]) and action research 'provide[s] educational practitioners with new knowledge and understanding, enabling them to improve educational practices or resolve significant problems in classrooms and schools' (Stringer [<reflink idref="bib49" id="ref16">49</reflink>], 13). Contingent on an educator's understanding of his/her classroom, action research invites educators to reflect on their current educational practices, in this case how social justice children's literature may bring deeper understanding for teachers to address critical global issues with children. Students benefit when teachers look at their own emergent learning, and change practices to accommodate students' needs in their classrooms, such as having children take agency to broach social justice issues in a larger global society (Arhar, Holly, and Kasten [<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref17">3</reflink>]; Atwah, Kemmis, and Weeks [<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref18">4</reflink>]; Mills [<reflink idref="bib32" id="ref19">32</reflink>]). The data presented here, at the early stages, do not include an action research component, but this was integral to later phases of the study.</p> <hd id="AN0121245940-5">Teaching for social justice</hd> <p>The term 'social justice' is commonly used and applied in a wide range of educational contexts. Although the wide application of the term can invite the possibility of agency for a wide range of actors, it also has come to mean that 'any teacher may be able to claim that he or she is teaching for social justice' (Agarwal et al. [<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref20">1</reflink>], 238). Approaches to teaching for social justice are similarly diverse and sometimes vague (Johnson and Bob [<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref21">19</reflink>]). Definitions of social justice draw on a wide range of theoretical perspectives and educational agendas and 'there are multiple discourses that educators draw upon when claiming a social justice orientation, including democratic education, critical pedagogy, multiculturalism, feminism, queer theory, anti-oppressive education, cultural studies and critical race theory' (Hytten and Bettez [<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref22">18</reflink>], 8–9). Many researchers have studied the role that print-based books play in engaging students in social justice education. Multicultural literature, in particular, has received significant attention (e.g. Leland et al. [<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref23">23</reflink>]; Rogers, Mosley, and Folkes [<reflink idref="bib40" id="ref24">40</reflink>]; Strong-Wilson, Yoder, and Phipps [<reflink idref="bib50" id="ref25">50</reflink>]). This type of literature presents several opportunities for both students and teachers to broaden their world view through exposure to, and examination of, multicultural literature: 'concepts of tolerance, diversity and acceptance of all groups can be promoted by teaching children to make connections between their own lives and the literature presented to them in the classrooms' (Suh and Samuel [<reflink idref="bib51" id="ref26">51</reflink>], 2). In this manner, literature not only becomes a productive learning tool, but it also has the potential to challenge or undermine various prescribed stereotypes.</p> <p>Teachers teach for social justice for a range of reasons, which include helping children to empathize with those in inequitable circumstances, encouraging children to participate in actions that will bring about social change, and illuminating injustices in children's everyday lives. In a larger sense, teaching for social justice permeates life at school: 'teaching is an inherently moral and political enterprise, and teachers' daily actions do matter in the effort to build a more just, caring, and democratic society' (Kelly [<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref27">20</reflink>], 10). With the introduction of the Internet and various Web 2.0 tools, our world has become a smaller place for many people, and, as a result, social injustices have become highlighted through new forms of media. Many educators have made a commitment to teach in a more just way with a social justice lens in mind. In a classroom-based digital literacy project, Burke et al. ([<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref28">10</reflink>]) explored what happened when young adolescents were asked by classroom teachers to create digital posters and read digital texts that focused on the impact of war on children. They reported that 'not only were students provided with the tools and resources to find and create information, but the use of social justice books helped position students as critical thinkers and users' (<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref29">25</reflink>). Teachers in the project sought to help children to become aware of this important issue and, potentially, to become agents of change.</p> <p>Teaching for social justice is not always an easy task, and often operates in contrast to media portrayals. While successful campaigns such as the Kielburger brothers 'We to Me' campaign[<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref30">4</reflink>] may empower children and teachers to advocate for social justice goals, the ways in which these goals are enacted in classrooms need to be examined more critically. The paths to enacting social justice are not straightforward: the willingness to take action is essential to a global society, but moving from a discussion of social justice into a curriculum that supports meaningful action is difficult (Banks [[<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref31">5</reflink>]]). Social justice can be conceptualized as a collaborative effort on the part of curriculum makers, educators, students, parents and community working together.</p> <p>Much research in the area of social justice has examined how pre-service teachers experienced difficulties while attempting to define and understand social justice. Agarwal et al. ([<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref32">1</reflink>]) interviewed three pre-service teachers, and discussed their different struggles translating their conceptions of social justice into teachable practices. The authors had hoped that participants would gain 'self-understanding and, ideally, self-determination' (<reflink idref="bib240" id="ref33">240</reflink>). Many participants reported transformations of their views on teaching for social justice while some experienced a great deal of self-doubt and confusion, as well as frustration with the realities of the school system when they started teaching. Further research is needed to examine the challenges faced by educators when tasked with the creation of change through social justice actions, and presented with new agendas on behalf of groups and communities who challenge schools to take action with a larger social justice agenda.</p> <p>New teachers often grapple with issues of social justice in the context of the classroom. In the Canadian context, 'a glaring lack of resources that adequately address social justice issues relevant to Canadian schools and written from a Canadian perspective' (Philpott and Dagenais [<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref34">36</reflink>], 96) have been cited as a key barrier. This disconnect appears to be associated with the material and social conditions of classroom teaching. Lack of control of teaching assignments and curriculum and lack of ongoing professional development seems to keep many educators from fulfilling their original goals. Despite these challenges, teachers find ways to infuse social justice teaching into the curriculum (e.g. Agarwal et al. [<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref35">1</reflink>]; Strong-Wilson, Yoder, and Phipps [<reflink idref="bib50" id="ref36">50</reflink>]).</p> <hd id="AN0121245940-6">Social justice and critical literacy</hd> <p>Teachers and researchers who participate in social justice work, in and out of classrooms, closely align social justice with critical literacy. Taking a reader response perspective, Lenski ([<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref37">24</reflink>]) defines critical literacy as 'developing a set of beliefs about reading that focus on examining a text's social and cultural implications' (<reflink idref="bib229" id="ref38">229</reflink>). Engagement in critique of texts and of social and cultural norms – and those expressed through conventional schooling – is key to most definitions of social justice. The taking of perspectives other than one's own is common to many critical literacy and social justice approaches (e.g. Lewison, Flint, and Van Sluys [<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref39">25</reflink>]; Luke and Woods [<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref40">27</reflink>]; Shanklin [<reflink idref="bib45" id="ref41">45</reflink>]). The importance of talk about social justice and for critique is emphasized by the above authors through a focus on social justice work with teachers and children in classrooms. An emphasis placed on self-study that leads to individual change (Seidl and Conley [<reflink idref="bib44" id="ref42">44</reflink>]) rather than only the individual, group or community-based efforts for those who are marginalized, whether local or international, is also part of critical literacy and social justice teaching.</p> <hd id="AN0121245940-7">Children's literature, critical literacy and social justice</hd> <p>Children's literature is invaluable in concerns of raising awareness of social justice. In his research, Dover ([<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref43">14</reflink>]) states that 'teachers for social justice acknowledge the relationships between social and educational inequity and students' educational experiences and help students critique, mitigate and redress inequitable conditions emphasizing principles of empowerment, agency and activism' (<reflink idref="bib514" id="ref44">514</reflink>). Quite often, teachers and teacher educators are fearful of topics such as oppression, equity and activism, which may be seen as too controversial to discuss in the classroom (e.g. Bender-Slack [<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref45">7</reflink>]; Pierce [<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref46">37</reflink>]). In an effort to curb this fear, and embrace socially just content and policy in the classroom, educators can teach children about stereotypes that exist in society while suggesting personally relevant counter messages. Teaching students in this way encourages them to break free from stereotypes, and develop for themselves a place in the world on their own terms (O'Neil [<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref47">34</reflink>]). Children are better prepared to develop the necessary vocabulary to discuss matters of racism and social justice if they go through the process of articulating their thoughts, and when children are provided the chance to discuss social ideologies found in texts, they are also provided the chance to develop the ability to talk about these issues, their understanding matures and is refined (Lobron and Selman [<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref48">26</reflink>]).</p> <p>Picture books are useful in teaching for social justice in classrooms as the picture book does not discriminate between children's ages (Anstey and Bull [<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref49">2</reflink>]), and every student can benefit from them, as they provide visual aids to assist in the act of processing and retaining information (Moffitt [<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref50">33</reflink>]). Picture books, therefore, are an integral component to social justice teachings, as children are encouraged to 'develop the imaginative capacity to put [themselves] into the place of others' (Rosenblatt [<reflink idref="bib41" id="ref51">41</reflink>], 353). Picture books allow students to see the various points of view of multiple characters, increase their sense of justice and equity and 'offer an easy template for children to emulate as they develop their sense of societal expectations' (O'Neil [<reflink idref="bib34" id="ref52">34</reflink>], 41), providing again the rich opportunities for classrooms to participate in dialogue. Likewise, Lobron and Selman ([<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref53">26</reflink>]) state that:</p> <p>Providing opportunities to discuss the social ideas presented in texts is one of the best ways to ensure students develop the ability to talk about these issues. When children have the chance to think deeply about what they are reading and then put their thoughts into words, their understanding matures profoundly. (<reflink idref="bib536" id="ref54">536</reflink>)</p> <p>One of the overarching long-term goals of this study is to provide just these kinds of opportunities.</p> <hd id="AN0121245940-8">The research</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0121245940-9">Context, data and participants</hd> <p>This paper explores challenges facing teachers when a book club uses children's literature to explore social issues and how its members reconcile understandings about social justice, action and agency within larger political and cultural forums of teaching. Using a qualitative case study approach (Dyson and Genishi [<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref55">16</reflink>]; Merriam [<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref56">30</reflink>]), we viewed both schools and individuals as cases. We examined, through focus group discussions, classroom teachers' understanding of social justice (Agarwal et al. [<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref57">1</reflink>]; Bender-Slack [<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref58">7</reflink>]; Cochran-Smith [<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref59">12</reflink>]; Cochran-Smith and Lytle [<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref60">13</reflink>]; McDonald [<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref61">28</reflink>]).</p> <p>Teachers were invited through the school board's Language Arts professional development group and through Burke's previous children's literature graduate class. Some teachers in her graduate class were participating in a Language Arts professional development group developed by their school district. Upon receiving a research application from Burke, the Eastern School District invited her to reach out to others on this platform to see if they would like to participate in the study. The Language Arts professional development group were connected through the school board email and had a conference site within the platform dedicated to the exchange of curriculum-related resources. Participants were invited by phone or by email by Burke because they were known to be interested in issues of social justice. Some of the teachers taught together in the same schools and were interested in bringing about change within their schools. Teachers came to research meetings after their school duties had concluded for the day and shared a meal. Three of the participants had been Burke's graduate students but were no longer in her classes. They and the other educators stated that they believed they would benefit from discussions about children's literature and social justice. The potential support from a teacher inquiry group was also attractive to many of the teachers. Burke extended the invitation to work collaboratively alongside each teacher, while building on the previous graduate course discussions some of them had had around the challenges of using children's literature in the classroom in aid of social justice initiatives. The former graduate students had maintained contact well after the course was completed, in order to share new social justice book titles and to share how they were continuing to teach with a social justice mindset. Their prior conversations were continued and extended, along with the participants who had not been former graduate students.</p> <p>Collier was the research assistant hired for this project and a doctoral candidate at the time. Twelve teachers were invited to an initial meeting at the library where four of the participants taught. An overview of the study was presented alongside a table displaying the children's literature social justice reading list. Consent forms were given and educators were invited to remain for the second half of the meeting – a presentation on social justice literature and picture books – and were invited to complete a survey that asked about their knowledge of Canadian children's literature and their own experiences with reading.</p> <p>After the initial meeting, we met with this group of teachers who taught in Grades 5–9[<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref62">5</reflink>] and who held a variety of roles as classroom teachers, teacher-librarians and administrators. Situated on the east coast of Canada, these teachers represented five schools – both urban and rural – and diverse student populations. We held three meetings during the 2011–12 school year. These meetings consisted of full group, small group and professional development sessions. The meetings took place in various locations, including the Faculty of Education library and the schools of the participants, on a rotating basis. This second meeting took place in a large classroom in the Faculty of Education library and the third in the library of the school where two of the participants taught. Meetings lasted approximately two hours.</p> <p>During sessions two and three, Collier kept a running record of events, actions and participant contributions. The sessions were also audio-recorded and later transcribed. Participants were told about and gave consent to audio-recording and note-taking. Collier was known to many of the participants in her previous role as a classroom teacher. At the same time, on these particular occasions, she was closer to the observational than participant end of the participant–observation spectrum, and was not engaged in co-constructing conversations or definitions with participants (Patton [<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref63">35</reflink>]). For this reason, observational notes taken are limited to the observer's perspective, although they were also discussed with Burke and the interpretations of both researchers are presented here.</p> <p>In addition to participant-observational notes from these sessions, individual reading histories were collected on separate occasions and participants were asked to take part in an online survey and the online sharing site, EDMODO™.[<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref64">6</reflink>] The data for this paper focus primarily on the beginning discussions (in sessions two and three) about definitions of social justice and examples of social justice in their classrooms and schools in large and small group conversations, and make connections with other data collected. The inquiry groups continued during the next year but these meetings are not the focus of discussion here.</p> <hd id="AN0121245940-10">Approach to analysis</hd> <p>Data were collected through surveys, focus group meetings, interviews and observations with teacher participants. As Bogdan and Biklen ([<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref65">9</reflink>]) explain, 'theory developed this way emerges from the bottom up; from many disparate pieces of collected evidence that are interconnected' and a focus on 'how people make meaning in their lives' (6–7). This process of meaning making through the data analysis was ongoing from the first data collection meeting within our teacher inquiry group, through the classroom observations and in the teacher interviews.</p> <p>At the same time that we looked at what we could see in the teachers' conversations and conceptualizations, we acknowledge that the readings we suggested likely influenced the kind of conversations that could and did occur, although teachers primarily used their own experiences as response to reading. During later meetings and phases of the larger study, teachers' needs, interests and book choices guided many of the decisions made about research paths to follow.</p> <p>As previously mentioned, we used Cochran-Smith's ([<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref66">12</reflink>]) metaphor of 'walking the road', as well as Pierce's ([<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref67">37</reflink>]) discussion of teacher resistance and her journey towards teaching with children's literature for social justice, to frame responses in our analysis. In analysing the data, it was necessary to think about how the data could be represented to show an account of the participants' experiences. In this particular example, we anchor the analysis in the brainstorming charts created by participants and subsequent conversations that represented their conceptualizations of social justice in abstract or in concrete (action) forms. Themes about conceptualization of social justice were derived from the brainstorming charts and subsequent conversations. In the study, social justice reflected many of the belief systems of the teachers and how they perceived the diverse challenges surrounding teaching for social justice.</p> <hd id="AN0121245940-11">Teachers' developing conceptualizations of social justice: findings and discussion</hd> <p>During the first year of the study, the brainstorming that is the focus here occurred during the second meeting and continued in discussions in the third meeting. Eleven of the twelve invited participants were present at this second meeting (after the introductory meeting). Prior to the second discussion group, the participants were asked to read Cochran-Smith's ([<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref68">12</reflink>]) chapter and to come prepared to discuss their responses. This chapter focuses on principles of teaching for social justice that suggest that teachers honour what students bring to school, teach the students how to engage with issues in explicit ways, develop equitable assessment, and make social justice action and power issues an open and integrated part of daily teaching. Burke and Collier decided on this reading in advance of the meeting as they felt it would be accessible and relevant to the teachers and it introduced a possible framing for social justice.</p> <p>As response to the chapter by Cochran-Smith ([<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref69">12</reflink>]) and issues of teaching social justice more broadly, the focal question for teachers during our second meeting (posed by Burke but co-constructed by Burke and Collier prior to this meeting) was: What does teaching for social justice really mean – in a concrete way? As teachers engaged in discussions in three separate small groups of three to four people, a number of common conceptions of social justice emerged through their beginning conceptualizations. Each group developed distinct but complementary ideas of how social justice could be framed within social actions that defined their personal lives, and within experiences of teaching social justice issues. Larger discourses of power and responsibility surfaced in the teacher talk as they start to define social justice together. These meanings were under development and are dependent on the ways that group members co-constructed meanings, and how these meanings translate to their teaching. The challenge of translation from idea to action is integral to discussions of social justice and as these teachers began to express their definitions, they used their own classroom work for social justice as examples.</p> <p>During our third meeting, Pierce's ([<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref70">37</reflink>]) paper was a focus for discussion. In this article, Pierce, a teacher for over 25 years, explores her rocky and resistant journey towards teaching for equity and social justice and how she moved from a more superficial engagement with social issues to a more substantial shift in beliefs about literacy and literature, and especially about what she could learn from her students. In the analysis that follows, discussions of Pierce's ([<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref71">37</reflink>]) paper in the third meeting are connected to and integrated with initial responses from the second meeting (where Cochran-Smith had been read and discussed). Although they joined because of their commitment to social justice, many of the teachers in this study also struggled with conceptualizing social justice action in their classrooms and schools. The conceptualizations of social justice, and the challenges of translating ideas to action, are spotlighted in the sections that follow. We connect the discussions that occurred in the early small group sessions to the larger group sessions that followed and the discussions in response to the Pierce article that occurred in our third meeting.</p> <hd id="AN0121245940-12">Group 1/Theme 1 – Social justice as global citizenship</hd> <p>The figure below is a replica of the way in which the first group of teachers brainstormed their definition of social justice. Placing 'social justice' at the core, they brainstormed large concepts: culture, human rights, citizenship/global, acceptance (respect, tolerance) and then created sub-topics that included larger societal issues but also how social justice is enacted in classrooms. As a group, they described social justice as intricately connected to the roles and responsibilities of global citizenship. Their talk and the larger discourses that they referenced were framed around societal responsibility, and they associated social justice with broad goals around creating global understanding for children (Figure 1).</p> <p>Graph: Figure 1. Group 1 brainstorming: 'What is social justice?'</p> <p>Teachers appeared to feel comfortable in this group and were able to reflect on their own limitations in providing support for students as global citizens, as well as the ways in which teaching for social justice positions teachers as learners. Denise, a junior high school teacher who uses drama and children's literature to discuss issues important to her and to her students, speculated:</p> <p>I sometimes wonder ... here we are in [name of town] teaching and here's [name of region of province] with these schools and their issues and different, you know ... First Nations and all sorts of different schools and different needs and whatever, and like we're not even interested in it, really.</p> <p>Denise's comments address teachers' interests in issues of equity relevant to people and places far away yet they do not always have a clear and strong understanding and interest in local issues, cultures and needs.</p> <p>In the conversations in both sessions, teachers struggled with these issues, and they also brought up the great capacity the children have to engage with these issues and the resources that they bring. Monica, who teaches younger children and whose school engages in social justice awareness at the school level, stated: 'We assume sometimes that the children can't see broader pictures and bigger pictures and make the connections when ... and see ... to think in more complex terms but, I mean, they can'. This idea was reiterated by other teachers within and across our discussion sessions. The role of teachers as support to children asking questions was highlighted by Karen: 'You need to be able to question things, and it's okay to question things, you know, regardless of ... what the context is. It's okay to ask questions'. Amy, a junior high school Art teacher, talked about developing comfort in taking risks – putting students in situations where they can struggle and can have the chance to form their own opinions.</p> <p>As teachers within this group talked about children as future global citizens, they emphasized the need for opportunities for action. Although various teachers mentioned this, Monica passionately stated:</p> <p>I think, you know, we need to be giving children like – and we're doing that – giving children opportunities to make a difference [agreement from various] – you know, to build something, to contribute to something, giving those opportunities to do ... to be part of the community and be a part of the solution.</p> <p>Teachers talked about the importance of having faith in what children can do and supporting them along that journey. They emphasized the importance of respect: 'It's hard to achieve a good balance and one of the most important things is to show respect for other people' (Barbara); and finally about the ways that talk and action and school can circulate around discussions and actions at home:</p> <p>And then you wonder how many of these conversations that are started in the school continue at the supper table, if that even exists anymore, at home <emph>(agreement from various)</emph> because, really, that's what should be happening, that it continues on at the supper table. (Karen)</p> <p>In these beginning conversations, teachers suggested that students need to become global and local citizens, recognizing that this is a complex and nuanced undertaking that requires teachers to look deeply at their own beliefs, as well as supporting students to do the same.</p> <hd id="AN0121245940-13">Group 2/Theme 2 – Social justice as individual activism</hd> <p>The figure below represents the brainstorming of the second group of teachers about their definition of social justice. Starting with 'respect for all story' they chose two additional key tenets: 'awareness of inequity' and 'activism to combat injustice'. They brainstormed the kinds of stories that needed to be included, how connections with inequity can be made and the forms that activism can take (Figure 2).</p> <p>Graph: Figure 2. Group 2 brainstorming: 'What is social justice?'</p> <p>In particular, teachers' classroom stories focused around sexual orientation and children coming out to peers. Participants were concerned with the lack of understanding around LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual and queer) issues and how this needed to change in the attitudes of school, teachers, students and school leaders. The group discussed how LGBTQ needs vary depending on the composition of the school population. Barbara acknowledged the diversity of belief systems in school populations:</p> <p>I think we have to be, especially at our level with younger children, you have to be very careful of the value system that's coming from home as well, because while you can show that there are different belief systems and that in the world, you also have to realize that the home they go to is the one that they live in mostly.</p> <p>As conversations continued across sessions, teachers repeatedly acknowledged respect as a foundation for social justice practices. One teacher observed disdain shown to a child in her class who has same-sex parents. She attempted to use children's literature as a bridge to create new understanding and tolerance. However, she could not find any children's literature on the topic in a local bookstore, community libraries or even when asking local bookshop owners and the community children's librarian. She shared that in both cases comments from bookshops were 'that we do not carry books like that'. Lorraine showed her determination to ensure that this child's belief system was acknowledged and shared: 'I finally found books in a bookstore in downtown [name of large metropolitan city]'. Instances such as these are described as opportunities for teachable moments: where teachers can determine the level of respect for different stories and look for resources to enhance awareness and activism initiatives.</p> <p>Finally, activism was discussed in terms of social awareness, sharing experiences, education and lobbying for change. In one teacher's experience, the school blogging site was used as a platform of communication around a sensitive issue regarding sexual orientation. Ellen explained:</p> <p>We have a social networking site for Grade 9 on Ning™[<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref72">7</reflink>] and, anyway, this girl was doing a persuasive speech about being gay – if that's a bad thing or good thing or whatever – and so she put on the site a discussion forum asking, 'have you ever used the term, gay, to describe something derogatory,' and the discussion that followed was really amazing because she had people coming forward, you know – 'I never thought about it before, but I have used the word that way, but I haven't really been talking about people being gay. You know, I'm not referring to that. I'm just saying that, you know, whatever it is I'm pointing at and saying, "That's so gay" just means it's not so good; it's lame.'</p> <p>This exercise provided a moment for students to review a social practice that they had taken for granted and to clarify their own acceptance of different stories in their environment. Ellen explained:</p> <p>... this one particular kid said ... at the end of it he said, 'Now that I know that it also means this – you know, that somebody will take offense, I'm not going to use it anymore,' and so that was an important conversation, you know, and they all just were going back and forth among each other and, you know, it was a neat thing that they came to, and that girl declared herself bisexual the next year and felt comfortable, I think, you know, in part because she heard that.</p> <p>Although challenges and obstacles were integral to this discussion, teachers were also able to share stories of success and progress.</p> <hd id="AN0121245940-14">Group 3/Theme 3 – Social justice as teaching practice</hd> <p>The brainstorming figure below represents the way in which the third group of teachers started to conceptualize social justice. Placing 'social justice' at the core, teachers wrote about a wide range of ideas, many of which connected directly to the teaching of social justice issues. They used specific examples of helpful texts (<emph>Catch Me Once, Catch Me Twice</emph> by McNaughton [<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref73">29</reflink>]) and literature (<emph>The Outsiders</emph> by Hinton [<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref74">17</reflink>]) as well as considerations for teaching (e.g. 'teach where they are', 'what can teachers do', 'expectations') and possible challenges (e.g. 'personal baggage', 'barriers') (Figure 3).</p> <p>Graph: Figure 3. Group 3 brainstorming: 'What is social justice?'</p> <p>Teachers in this group thought about social justice in a more applied and practical sense, which they expressed through phrases such as 'teach where they are and what they can relate to'. Their discussion focused on how they teach social justice, and asked critical questions around teaching pedagogy including what they could do with literature. Their definition suggests a liberal and mainstream definition of social justice. However, their stated teaching philosophies reflected a strong desire for empowerment and emancipation. Some of the discussion illustrated barriers to social justice through discussion of political correctness, stereotypes, and individual challenges and backgrounds of students. The teachers appeared to be drawn to children's experiences and centred on home-literacy connections of social action through learners' experiences. Amy anticipated cultural sensitivities and differences in her teaching practice:</p> <p>I may offend people but, you know, having sometimes these conversations ... I've been really lucky. The students that I have had with, you know, diversities – multicultural diversities, sexual diversities – if you have conversations with them beforehand to kind of see if they are comfortable talking to the class ... you know, I've been really lucky so, you know, the learning has been there, you know, but sometimes you don't know, right, so you find yourself in the situation where – well, I'm just going to do this; and if it comes back and bites me, then, I guess, you know, I won't do that again, whatever. I don't know.</p> <p>This student-centred instruction directly involved individual students' stories of differences in Amy's classroom.</p> <p>Participants felt that the students are capable of reaching understanding through these types of social justice initiatives in the classroom. Ellen said:</p> <p>I think we underestimate our kids lots of times, you know, when you think this is a class who isn't getting along academically. We have to work on the basics, and we can't ... we don't have time for this flowery stuff, but it turns out that, you know, when you give it to them and they latch on, and they get some pretty strong opinions. In this manner, lessons in social awareness and equity become opportunities to meet educational outcomes such as approaches in critical pedagogy using individual beliefs and experience.</p> <p>This type of responsive and sensitive instruction can result in cooperation and understanding.</p> <p>This teacher inquiry group was deliberate in their practical conceptualization of social justice education in terms of classroom applications. Our discussion above has emphasized this philosophy through their continual return to the phrase: 'teach where they are and what they can relate to' (Ellen). In terms of teaching where they are, Ellen illustrated the group's belief that literary engagement as part of a social justice education not only increases understanding of social justice issues, but also promotes important learning gains and achievement of curriculum outcomes by students. Amy's discussion of teaching what students can relate to underscores important challenges of teaching for social justice. Cultural awareness and sensitivity is an important consideration of educators who do not wish to alienate minority students in their classrooms. However, the tension associated with discussions of inequities provides an opportunity for meaningful learning through student-centred discussion of the subjective experiences of students and teachers. These sorts of home-literacy connections are important for teachers to promote effective social justice education in their classrooms.</p> <p>We make the overarching claim that larger discourses about social justice – global, individualized and action-oriented/applied – are prevalent in teachers' beginning conceptualizations about social justice. When trying to make these notions applicable to their practice or potential future actions, they rely on discourses that are readily available to them, from their social and political worlds. Each of the groups above took a slightly different initial tack on their early social justice definitions and, in a sense, in their group brainstorming we see the ways in which understandings can develop in groups separated from other groups. Once teachers began discussions across groups and shared their ideas, teachers were able to make connections with their own experiences – in classrooms and otherwise – and develop definitions about the complexities and nuances of applying investments in social justice to formalized teaching practice. The use of children's literature to achieve these social justice ends both provided supports for teachers and raised new questions.</p> <hd id="AN0121245940-15">Conclusion</hd> <p>As we found when beginning to conceptualize social justice with these teachers, the ideal of teaching for social justice can be seen as unattainable and not easily linked to particular classroom practices (Spalding et al. [<reflink idref="bib47" id="ref75">47</reflink>]). The teacher inquiry groups illustrate the challenges for all teachers to make connections between abstract theories and ideals around social justice, and interactions with students in classrooms. Many of these conceptualizations were embedded in the complexities of defining social justice while considering issues such as aboriginal residential schooling as presented in children's literature. Teachers in this study talked about how teacher education programs ignore the need to translate critical pedagogies into classroom practice in concrete ways. It was important to challenge their prior understanding of pedagogies and consider critical viewpoints and understanding of how critical issues might challenge the status quo. Sometimes the theories and approaches that teachers have learned, and in which they believe, cannot be smoothly applied in their classrooms. Like Spalding et al. ([<reflink idref="bib47" id="ref76">47</reflink>]), we have come to understand that 'culturally relevant pedagogy is theorized as a tool to empower students intellectually, socially, emotionally, and politically; however, there is underdeveloped understanding, confusion, and frustration at the district, school, and classroom levels as teachers attempted to use it' (<reflink idref="bib192" id="ref77">192</reflink>). It is important for policy-makers to include references to minority students' culture in all aspects of learning (Ladson-Billings [<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref78">21</reflink>]). We used social justice literature focused on minority cultures in classrooms following these beginning conversations. In many ways, the selection of children's literature for social justice allowed teachers to consider inequities while drawing connections to their classrooms and the children they teach.</p> <p>As a response, in the second phase of this study, not reported here, we explored the use of 'more accurate and representative portrayal of the cultural and historical experiences' of cultural and linguistic minority students (Stevens and Charles [<reflink idref="bib48" id="ref79">48</reflink>], 17) as a bridge to including issues of social justice in classrooms. Furthermore, we argue that teacher training needs to shift knowledge of different cultures from superficial multiculturalism (Bigelow [<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref80">8</reflink>]) to culturally responsive pedagogy. In this light, culturally responsive pedagogies and teaching encourage student participation, critical analysis of texts, and action. Teachers are encouraged to teach in ways that are socially just, democratic, and engage both teachers and students together. Teachers and students consider alternate viewpoints and embrace diversity. This was certainly the intention of many of our teacher inquiry group meetings: to find real ways for this experience and action to be transformative in knowledge sharing with students and provide a route for active agency for social justice within their schools. This route is not always easy and not always substantive in nature. Sleeter ([<reflink idref="bib46" id="ref81">46</reflink>]) discusses cases where teachers who were trained to be culturally responsive in approach interpreted 'culturally responsive pedagogy as cultural celebration, even when it is presented as a process for building academic learning on cultural repertoires students bring' (<reflink idref="bib570" id="ref82">570</reflink>). Other studies have questioned the ability of culturally responsive pedagogy to transform the teaching practices of mainly white educators (e.g. Meyer et al. [<reflink idref="bib31" id="ref83">31</reflink>]; Rusch and Horsford [<reflink idref="bib42" id="ref84">42</reflink>]; Young [<reflink idref="bib53" id="ref85">53</reflink>]).</p> <p>Social justice teaching is complicated in classroom settings. In the initial stages of this study, teachers engaged in conversations and talked about the ways in which they were constrained by political, social and community forces. Sometimes these constraints were rooted in self-monitoring or censoring; sometimes they were related to specific and structural forces, such as mandated assessments or curricula; or they were constrained by the opinions of others and possible repercussions. Online spaces may provide potential for future critical discussions amongst distant educators, although they may be more limiting in terms of the kind of community and personal connections that are possible, and are sometimes seen as more formal and academic spaces (Prestridge [<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref86">38</reflink>]).</p> <p>We suggest that many teachers are not clear about how to teach in socially just ways. They may accept theories learned and utilized in the post-secondary education courses, but they are sometimes unsure about how these would work successfully with their students or if they would be accepted in school environments (Taylor and Otinsky [<reflink idref="bib52" id="ref87">52</reflink>]). Professional learning communities can be used to mentor such change. The use of a teacher inquiry group as a process for engaging and discussing such complex issues shows a way forward to consider the dilemmas that teachers commonly face in classrooms every day. Although there are many challenges, as seen in our research, we hope that teacher inquiry groups can open up spaces for teachers to share stories and work through their translations of social justice ideas into action. Like Hytten and Bettez ([<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref88">18</reflink>]), we believe that:</p> <p>Teachers need to be culturally responsive in the classroom, to know themselves and be open to change, to hold a well-developed philosophy of education, to have substantial pedagogical content knowledge, to maintain an educational psychology that is multicultural, and to connect teacher education to the world outside of school. (<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref89">13</reflink>)</p> <p>This quotation captures the multifaceted nature of an effective social justice educator. Teachers must be able to respond to the interests and needs of the various cultural and ethnic groups of students represented in their classroom. They may need to address the specific inequities historically faced by certain minority groups. As a means to this end, social justice educators must be reflective and self-aware. It is important for teachers to be exacting in their examination of their own beliefs and preconceived notions. Teachers need to be knowledgeable in their content areas, such as historical events and well versed in children's literature and current research in their field of study. This includes both educational pedagogy and social justice research. However, teachers need to remember that students' experiences of social justice are not bound to the classroom. Teachers also need to help students to translate issues outside of the classroom to their own lived experiences. In considering the challenges of implementing social justice education in the contemporary classroom, these measures may be most effectively interrogated through active participation in teacher inquiry groups. These groups provide a space where classroom teachers can engage with peers regarding their experience and practice as they negotiate their own understanding and implementation of a social justice agenda that can lead to social action and can promote agency in both teachers and students.</p> <hd id="AN0121245940-16">Disclosure statement</hd> <p>No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.</p> <hd id="AN0121245940-17">Funding</hd> <p>This work was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council under Insight [grant number #208136].</p> <hd id="AN0121245940-18">Notes on contributors</hd> <p>Anne Burke is an associate professor at Memorial University in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. She researches and writes in the areas of children's learning, social justice, children's literature, multimodality and teacher inquiry.</p> <p>Diane Collier is an assistant professor at Brock University in Ontario, Canada and focuses her research on social justice, children's literature, popular culture, home–school connections, teacher preparation, and ethical research with children.</p> <hd id="AN0121245940-19">Acknowledgements</hd> <p>The authors would like thank the Eastern School District of Newfoundland and Labrador for encouraging teachers who were a part of the Language Arts professional learning group to engage in this study of children's literature and social justice.</p> <ref id="AN0121245940-20"> <title> Notes </title> <blist> <bibl id="bib1" idref="ref1" type="bt">1</bibl> <bibtext> The name Karen is a pseudonym for the teacher cited. All names of participants/teachers are pseudonyms.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib2" idref="ref2" type="bt">2</bibl> <bibtext> Children in Grade 6 in Canada are typically 11–12 years old.</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib3" idref="ref3" type="bt">3</bibl> <bibtext> In Canada, beginning in the nineteenth century, and lasting late into the twentieth century, the Department of Indian Affairs removed First Nations children from their communities and placed them in boarding schools as part of a process of assimilation, in order to teach them Christian and Canadian ways of being and knowing. More information can be found at <ulink href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/a-history-of-residential-schools-in-canada-1.702280">http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/a-history-of-residential-schools-in-canada-1.702280</ulink> (accessed August 9, 2016).</bibtext> </blist> <blist> <bibl id="bib4" idref="ref18" type="bt">4</bibl> <bibtext> Learn more about Craig and Marc Kielburgers' 'We to Me' campaign here: <ulink href="http://www.metowe.com/our-founders-craig-and-marc/">http://www.metowe.com/our-founders-craig-and-marc/</ulink> (accessed August 9, 2016). 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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: 'I Was Kind of Teaching Myself': Teachers' Conversations about Social Justice and Teaching for Change – Name: Language Label: Language Group: Lang Data: English – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Burke%2C+Anne%22">Burke, Anne</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Collier%2C+Diane+R%2E%22">Collier, Diane R.</searchLink> – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Teacher+Development%22"><i>Teacher Development</i></searchLink>. 2017 21(2):269-287. – Name: Avail Label: Availability Group: Avail Data: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals – Name: PeerReviewed Label: Peer Reviewed Group: SrcInfo Data: Y – Name: Pages Label: Page Count Group: Src Data: 19 – Name: DatePubCY Label: Publication Date Group: Date Data: 2017 – Name: TypeDocument Label: Document Type Group: TypDoc Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research – Name: Audience Label: Education Level Group: Audnce Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Secondary+Education%22">Secondary Education</searchLink> – Name: Subject Label: Descriptors Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+Justice%22">Social Justice</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Inquiry%22">Inquiry</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Childrens+Literature%22">Childrens Literature</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Attitudes%22">Teacher Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Professional+Education%22">Professional Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Critical+Literacy%22">Critical Literacy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Communities+of+Practice%22">Communities of Practice</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Action+Research%22">Action Research</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Case+Studies%22">Case Studies</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Critical+Theory%22">Critical Theory</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Clubs%22">Clubs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Secondary+School+Teachers%22">Secondary School Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Focus+Groups%22">Focus Groups</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Interviews%22">Interviews</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Meetings%22">Meetings</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Observation%22">Observation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Citizenship%22">Citizenship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Global+Education%22">Global Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Practices%22">Educational Practices</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink> – Name: Subject Label: Geographic Terms Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Canada%22">Canada</searchLink> – Name: DOI Label: DOI Group: ID Data: 10.1080/13664530.2016.1235607 – Name: ISSN Label: ISSN Group: ISSN Data: 1366-4530 – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: This article shares teachers' conversations within teacher inquiry groups and considers how this reflective approach has potential for transforming teachers' practices. Conversations took place at the early stages of a longer teacher inquiry project and centred on the critical interrogation of social justice-oriented children's literature. These conversations served as a forum to help teacher professional learning communities and to reconcile understandings about social justice, action and agency within larger political and cultural forums of teaching. The teacher inquiry sessions shared in this paper explore teachers' beginning struggles with conceptualizations of social justice, and the teacher's role in imparting values to students. Teacher participants imparted their experience and practice as they negotiated their own understanding and implementation of social justice education in their schools. The teacher inquiry groups provided a needed supportive space where classroom teachers' struggles were shared alongside their beliefs and pedagogical approaches so that a social justice agenda could be achieved. – Name: AbstractInfo Label: Abstractor Group: Ab Data: As Provided – Name: Ref Label: Number of References Group: RefInfo Data: 53 – Name: DateEntry Label: Entry Date Group: Date Data: 2017 – Name: AN Label: Accession Number Group: ID Data: EJ1129613 |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1080/13664530.2016.1235607 Languages: – Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 19 StartPage: 269 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Social Justice Type: general – SubjectFull: Inquiry Type: general – SubjectFull: Childrens Literature Type: general – SubjectFull: Teacher Attitudes Type: general – SubjectFull: Professional Education Type: general – SubjectFull: Critical Literacy Type: general – SubjectFull: Communities of Practice Type: general – SubjectFull: Action Research Type: general – SubjectFull: Case Studies Type: general – SubjectFull: Critical Theory Type: general – SubjectFull: Clubs Type: general – SubjectFull: Secondary School Teachers Type: general – SubjectFull: Focus Groups Type: general – SubjectFull: Interviews Type: general – SubjectFull: Meetings Type: general – SubjectFull: Observation Type: general – SubjectFull: Citizenship Type: general – SubjectFull: Global Education Type: general – SubjectFull: Educational Practices Type: general – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries Type: general – SubjectFull: Canada Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: 'I Was Kind of Teaching Myself': Teachers' Conversations about Social Justice and Teaching for Change Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Burke, Anne – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Collier, Diane R. IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 01 Type: published Y: 2017 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 1366-4530 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 21 – Type: issue Value: 2 Titles: – TitleFull: Teacher Development Type: main |
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