Social Justice and Diversity in Initial Teacher Education: Information, Perceptions, and Attitudes of Preservice Teachers

• In Event: Poster Session 8
  In Poster Session: Division K Section 4 Poster Session

Abstract

This research study, which is in the initial phases of a longitudinal research project, aims to describe undergraduate teacher education students’ perceptions, attitudes and knowledge toward social justice education (SJE), as well as changes in these perceptions over the course of one semester. The initial results of the quantitative and qualitative data reveal that while students possess understandings of social justice there was less understanding of how to actualize their knowledge into practice, especially in their future role as teachers. These findings align with previous research (Lemley, 2014), in that undergraduate students struggle to translate their thoughts and beliefs in to action. This mixed-methods study will serve to develop more effective means in redesigning teacher education for social justice.

Authors

• Gabriella McLoughlin, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Yoon K. Pak, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign