Education Renewal and Remedy: How Elementary Teachers Address Social Issues

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 11:40 am Four Seasons Ballroom 4
  In Roundtable Session: Decolonial Social-Emotional Learning, Trauma-Informed Practices, and Addressing Social Issues (Table 9)

Abstract

This study examines how six elementary teachers adapt relevant personal experience, and lack thereof, to make sense of social issues facing their students within the classroom context. Using ethics of care and justice theories, the findings illustrate that elementary teachers draw on relevant personal experience to guide their reasoning in practice regarding students-level social issues and to implement actions that center care and justice for young learners. A teacher’s lack of resonating relevant experience of social issues or opportunities to acquire one through others seems to introduce complexities in understanding teachers’ intent of taking responsibility to act and engage in care-justice-oriented pedagogy. The paper discusses the implications for pedagogy centered on care and elementary education practice and future research.

Authors

• Matthew Odebiyi, Arizona State University

• Marsha E. Simon, Valdosta State University

• Fredrick Kofi Ayirah, Arizona State University