Community of Transformative Praxis: Validating and Inspiring Social Justice Teaching

• In Event: 18.042 - Disrupting Traditional Teacher Professional Development (PD): Critical PD for Teachers Committed to Social Justice

Abstract

Objective
Since the passing of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), standardized curriculum and testing has been fore-fronted while pushing to the margins equity based pedagogies (Sleeter, 2012). The post-NCLB climate has social justice educators facing the dilemma of either leaving the classroom, compromising their practice, or teaching in a state of fear (Lipman, 2009; McNeil, 2009; Picower, 2012).

This paper describes how a critical inquiry group (CIG) operated to sustain and enhance social justice teaching in urban secondary schools. Through a qualitative research design, the findings reveal that the critical inquiry group validated and inspired social justice teaching through what I describe as a community of transformative praxis (CTP).

Theoretical Framework

This paper draws from two theories of social justice process: praxis (Freire, 1970) and transformative resistance (Solórzano & Delgado Bernal, 2001). These theorists explain that social justice is a process that requires the combination of politicization and action toward social change. The intersections of praxis and transformative resistance conceptualize what this study has identified as a community of transformative praxis.

Methods

The study utilized a qualitative case study methodology and critical inquiry group design (Duncan-Andrade, 2007; Merriam, 2009) to examine a critical inquiry group housed within a teacher activist organization. The participants included six inquiry group members that displayed social justice teaching in urban secondary schools and were CIG participants. Their teaching experience ranged from being in their first year, having taught for a few years, and to almost a decade of teaching experience. Data consisted of audio recording of inquiry group meetings and interviews, field-notes of classroom observations, documents created by teachers, and student work (Merriam, 2009). The data was analyzed to examine the inquiry group space and social justice teaching.

Findings

The findings revealed that the CIG was structured to engage like-minded educators in a social justice process toward political and pedagogical development, known as a community of transformative praxis. CTP included three key characteristics: 1) a deliberate political space, 2) praxis-oriented structure, and 3) shared leadership and facilitation. The CIG’s community of transformative praxis validated and inspired social justice teaching through a political, praxis oriented, and inclusive structure. Participants benefited from sharing pedagogical and teaching strategies and also from receiving social and emotional support from fellow CIG members. A community of transformative praxis validated and inspired the participants to teach for social justice through a politically and pedagogically like-minded community.

Significance
This study provides insight for teacher education and professional development. In response to the overwhelming focus on accountability and standardization, the findings allow us to imagine, what happens when social justice educators are brought in from the margins and involved in shaping their own professional development to engage in social justice teaching.

Author

• Oscar Navarro, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo