The Duty of Non-neutrality: Teacher Perceptions of Social Justice and Critical Pedagogy in the Classroom

The Duty of Non-neutrality: Teacher Perceptions of Social Justice and Critical Pedagogy in the Classroom

Social justice and education

Kristen Walker

Elizabeth Jean Franceschini

2024

 California State University

Dissertation

English

Restricted Access

In the modern political climate of 2024, educators often face opposition, pushback, and criticism when teaching for social justice (Clark, 2023; Kelly et al., 2004). The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the motivating factors and support systems behind the work of social justice educators and how they utilize resistance to be effective social justice educators. Five social justice educators participated in a fishbowl-style discussion to encourage authentic conversations (Garrison & Munday, 2012) and were guided by questions about their perceptions of social justice education and their resistance to pushback when prioritizing social justice in their classroom. The findings from this study show that social justice educators are motivated by their students first and foremost, hoping to help them build empathy and critical thinking skills. The research also found that administrator support and training in social justice pedagogy, transparency with curriculum, and strong Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) contributed to educator confidence in their implementation of social justice pedagogy within the classroom. Participants expressed hesitation with teaching for social justice, but noted that they continue to do so because of the support from their colleagues, administrators, and students. The research also recommends the implementation of social justice standards within the district and highlights the need for future studies on the vi perception of social justice education by teachers of Color and administrator perception of social justice education.