Constructing Critical Coherence: Unpacking Possibilities and Tensions in a Social Justice–Oriented Teacher Education Program

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 3:35 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: And the Work Remains: Addressing Persistent Challenges to Social Justice in Teacher Education (Table 12)

Abstract

Recently, there has been a push to clarify coherence in teacher education programs (TEPs), particularly those focused on social justice. However, research on building coherence in such programs remains sparse. This concurrent mixed methods study examines how stakeholders define critical social justice practices and how program structures either facilitate or impede coherence in a critical, social justice-oriented TEP. Data sources include program documents, surveys, and interviews involving approximately 25 key stakeholders. Preliminary findings show the program articulates a unified vision through explicit competencies and evolving shared language. Yet, tensions arise between the realities and imagined possibilities experienced in coursework and school-based experiences. This study illuminates how social justice-oriented TEPs can navigate entrenched educational systems, and the complexities of continually constructing coherence.

Authors

• Emilie Mitescu Reagan, Claremont Graduate University

• Rebecca Hatkoff, Claremont Graduate University

• Eddie Partida, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona