Imagining Beyond the Margins: Muslim Teachers and the Work of Liberation

• In Event: Teachers at the Center: Reimagining Education Through Voice and Vision

Abstract

This study centers Muslim public school teachers, an underrepresented group in research on liberatory praxis. Drawing on liberatory frameworks, we examine how teachers imagine freedom and dream beyond existing educational structures. Using a critical grounded theory approach, we analyzed 215 short responses to explore teachers' aspirations. Rooted in equity and care, four key themes emerged in their responses: salary and workload, respect and recognition, policy and practice, and student outcomes. The findings highlight how participants navigate material and ideological constraints while envisioning schools as sites of transformation. Through Muslim educators’ visions, this work contributes to broader efforts to reimagine schooling as a liberatory, inclusive, and caring space.

Authors

• Mayida Zaal, Montclair State University

• Nushrat Hoque, Florida International University

• Chedia Ayari, Montclair State University

• Maheen Ahmad, Montclair State University

• Amir Billups

• Manar Hussein, Montclair State University

• Nagla Bedir, Perth Amboy Public Schools