Democracy and Education: Teacher Reflections on Fostering Epistemic Agency and Epistemic Justice in Classrooms

• In Event: Fostering Teacher Voice and Education in the Pursuit of Democratic Justice

Abstract

Epistemic agency is a student’s ability to take responsibility for their learning. Historically, schools have stifled students’ epistemic agency through mandated curricula, direct instruction, standardized testing, etc. If the goal of education is to empower students to become lifelong learners and engaged citizens, teaching must be centered around epistemic justice – teachers must find ways to simultaneously share their epistemic authority with students while enabling higher levels of epistemic agency for students in their classroom. This study examines tensions involved in implementing a pedagogical approach that repositions students as epistemic agents during the knowledge building process. Teacher reflections on this transformative process are analyzed using qualitative methods. Socio-political implications are discussed within the context of democracy and education.

Author

• Leanne Ma, University of Toronto
  Presenting Author