Cultivating a disposition for sociospatial justice in English teacher preparation

Abstract

This study highlights one semester of ongoing research reflecting how preservice English students performed dispositions for social justice. This work draws on a postmethod approach, observing participants' artifacts and participation in a variety of classroom activities. By tapping into participants' funds of social justice knowledge, it explored how their inner filters and inclinations have implications for spatializing social justice into future classrooms. Outcomes of this study provide the possibility for (1) understanding how a disposition for social justice can be cultivated, (2) spatializing social justice teaching across contexts, (3) disrupting educational inequities in English classrooms, and (4) developing performance-based assessments.

Reference

Miller, S. J. (2014). Cultivating a disposition for sociospatial justice in English teacher preparation. Teacher Education and Practice, 27 (1), 44-74.

Journal

Teacher Education and Practice

Analysis

Is this article part of a larger project or series of studies?

yes

Does this study draw on a large, preexisting data set?

Research Approach

Action Research
Qualitiative

Geographic Setting

western Pennsylvania

Institutional Context

University based

Certification Level

Secondary

Programatic Focus

not stated

Research Location Context

University

Preservice Participants

master of arts in teaching English (MATE)

Preservice Sample Size

Duration of Data Collection

3 months or less

Data Sources

Document Analysis
Informal Assessments (e.g. performance assessments)
Interviews
Observations

Data Analysis Tools

Discourse analysis (conversational analysis)

Researcher Positionality

Inside (studying their own practices)

Research Questions

How did secondary students enrolled in a course titled Critical Pedagogy in English perform dispositions toward social justice?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes

"What can preservice English teacher preparation programs do to help students understand how to apply social justice across spatial geographies (e.g., urban, rural, suburban)?" (p. 46)
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes