Transformative Ruptures of Dominant Narratives: Shifting Educator Capacity Toward Social Justice Teaching

• In Event: Teacher Perceptions and Enactments of Culturally Sustaining Practices

Abstract

Teachers are charged with providing students an opportunity to interrogate their current context and envision a more equitable democracy. Social justice teaching is one such approach to examine issues of oppression and privilege in our society, though numerous scholars have documented its undertheorization and surface level implementation (Dover, 2015). This study examines the transformative ruptures of dominant narratives needed to deepen the knowledge and practice of teachers in their journey to implementing social justice education. Preliminary findings delineate three major transformative ruptures in the process towards implementing SJT: 1. herofication of individuals versus systemic analysis of oppression, 2. categorical versus intersectional and complex understandings of identity, and 3. rote instruction rather than framing students as knowledgeable and agentic.

Authors

• Sandra E. Leu Bonanno, WestEd

• Corey Ranshaw Sell, Metropolitan State University of Denver