What Do Youth Have to Do With It? Creating Spaces of Engagement and Reshaping Social Justice Education

• In Event: Critical Identities and Discourses Within K–12 Education Spaces

Abstract

Traditional structures of formal education make it difficult for teachers and students to hold meaningful conversations about critical social justice issues. This paper presents data from a conversation with three high school youth that demonstrates their understanding, perspectives, and experiences with social justice events that occurred during the pandemic. The paper explores how youth utilized informal learning spaces such as social media platforms to construct knowledge and counter dominant discourses regarding how formal education can incorporate social justice issues into classrooms. The analysis of the interview conversations presents students’ diverging needs to learn about social justice topics in both formal and informal learning contexts. The data also illustrates the power of the students' voices that could inform future curriculum development.

Authors

• Shuyuan Liu, Queen's University - Kingston
  Presenting Author

• Kenneth Gyamerah, Toronto District School Board 
  Presenting Author

• Claire Ahn, Queen's University
  Presenting Author

• Thashika Pillay, Queen's University - Kingston
  Presenting Author