Going Beyond the Classroom Door: A Case Study of English Language Teachers' Activism in Tennessee

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session Twelve
  In Roundtable Session: Teachers' Instructional Design Decision Making (Table 11)

Abstract

This qualitative case study examines how English language teachers (ELTs) enact activism in their professional lives. Grounded in a critical theory of education, qualitative analysis of 18 semi-structured interviews demonstrates how a relational view of activism helps make visible the processes by which these ELTs expanded their advocacy efforts towards activism through cultivating their own critical consciousness, creating spaces for developing critical consciousness with other stakeholders, and committing to a long-term reflection/action cycle with collaborators. These findings highlight how context-embedded acts of quiet activism are particularly impactful for seeking social justice outcomes and the value of exploring ELTs’ activism in more depth.

Authors

• Amber N. Warren, Vanderbilt University
  Presenting Author

• Natalia A. Ward, East Tennessee State University
  Presenting Author