"I'll Work for It in Private": Prospective Teachers' Conceptions of Teaching for Social Justice in South Korea

• In Event: International Perspectives on Social Justice in Teacher Education

Abstract

In spite of the global trend of teaching for social justice, there has been the paucity of discussion about teaching for social justice in South Korea. This study expands upon a framework of teaching for social justice (North, 2009) by exploring prospective teachers’ conceptions of teaching for social justice. Methodologically, this study conducted in-depth interviews of three Korean prospective teachers. Major findings include: (a) prospective teachers’ conceptions of teaching for social justice were more intensely linked to moral education than democratic citizenship education, (b) their critical literacy did not always coincide with their commitment to teaching it, and (c) various factors influencing their critical literacy did not always influence their commitment to teaching it. Implications for teacher educators are discussed.

Authors

• Hyunhee Cho, University of Washington - Seattle

• Jinyoung Choi, Ewha Womans University