Reconciling dilemmas of social justice in literacy Lessons: A case study of preservice primary teachers
Abstract
Literacy is promoted as one factor in overcoming disadvantage. In this paper, we employ Fraser’s (1997 & 2008) framing of social justice in order to analyse the disparate agendas of literacy education for improved outcomes in national policy. We do this to better understand the dilemmas confronting preservice teachers as they prepare to become teachers in complex education contexts. We then examine what 20 preservice primary teachers say about social justice in interview responses to a scripted scenario. Our findings demonstrate that most preservice teachers are trying to demonstrate that they have a well-placed commitment to teaching for social justice, however, most of our respondents are yet to frame productive practices that might work in providing socially just education for the students they will teach. These outcomes raise possibilities for future iterations of preservice teacher courses at the case study site and beyond.
Reference
Exley, B., Woods, A., Lunn, J., Walker, S., & Whiteford, C. M. (2014). Reconciling dilemmas of social justice in literacy Lessons: A case study of preservice primary teachers. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 39(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2014v39n1.11
Journal
Australian Journal of Teacher Education
Analysis
Is this article part of a larger project or series of studies?
yes
Does this study draw on a large, preexisting data set?
yes
Research Approach
Geographic Setting
Institutional Context
Certification Level
Programatic Focus
Research Location Context
Preservice Participants
- Undergraduates (university based program)
Preservice Sample Size
20
Duration of Data Collection
Data Sources
Data Analysis Tools
Researcher Positionality
Research Questions
What can be learned about 20 pre-service teachers' perspectives on teaching for social justice through their response to a scripted scenario?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? No