Understanding Educators' Conceptions and Misconceptions of Restorative Justice Practices

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Abstract

In this paper I use the lens of cognitive resources to investigate educators’ conceptions and misconceptions about the nature of restorative justice practices (RJP). Scholarship at the intersection of learning sciences and policy implementation has demonstrated that practitioners’ conceptualizations of reforms are critical to implementing meaningful school change. Reforms are understood through the lens of educators’ existing ideas leading to common patterns of ‘misconceptions’ which can be difficult to overcome. I find that while educators attend to a large number of unique elements in characterizing RJP, they predominantly use four cognitive frames to organize these elements. I demonstrate that these frames offer differing affordances for protecting against common misconceptions about RJP.

Author

• Eleanor Anderson, Northwestern University