Comparison of Teachers' Descriptions of Social Justice to Their Beliefs About Social Justice and Teaching

• In Event: 66.049 - The Integration of Math and Science for Culturally Responsive Teaching

Abstract

Teaching science for social justice has not been fully integrated across all scientific disciplines despite the social justice or reformed-minded science education beliefs that teachers hold. This can be attributed to a number of factors. This study addresses the connection between teachers’ descriptions of social justice and their beliefs about social justice and reformed-based teaching practices. Results demonstrate that although the majority of science teachers in the study had strong commitments to social justice and beliefs that aligned with reform-minded or transitional science teaching and learning practices, their descriptions for what teaching science for social justice meant indicated that there is a wide range of interpretations for implementation and whether science was an appropriate place for issues of social justice.

Author

• Fredrica Nash, The George Washington University