Developing Teachers’ Social Justice Beliefs About Race, Class, Culture, Literacy, and Language

• In Event: Poster Session 9
  In Poster Session: Teacher Knowledge and Beliefs in the Context of Schooling

Abstract

This paper session examines the impact of a course that focused on multiple dimensions of social equity literacy teaching. I will focus on differences between the beliefs of teachers who took the course and those who did not. Course participants scored higher on most items of the survey instrument, Learning to Teach for Social Justice – Beliefs (Enterline, Cochran-Smith, Ludlow, Mitescu, 2008), and significantly higher on selected survey items. Analysis of teachers’ written statements reveals qualitatively different beliefs about students and teaching in the two groups. While the evidence shows a positive course impact on teachers’ beliefs about social justice teaching, I will also point out the limitations of the course.

Author

• Althier M. Lazar, Saint Joseph's University