Teaching for social justice : reflections from a core unit in a teacher education program

Teacher educators need forms of pedagogy and counter-knowledge that challenge their internalised ideologies and subjective identities. Pre-service teachers need to critique ideologies, examine the influences on their thinking and identities and consider the kind of teachers they want to become. They need to be active in constructing and maintaining classrooms that promote social justice. While teachers are expected to interrogate social justice incidents, this requires skill and courage in the current context. In many instances it has been much easier to resort to methods of discipline, control, and silence when faced with a sense of inadequacy. Often, the complexities that emerge during periods of social crisis are marginalised and silenced. Given the location of the University of Western Sydney – in the very suburbs of Greater Western Sydney where these shifting identity politics are most urgently contested – it is important that we, as educators, play a major role, especially in responding to major educational and community concerns around issues of social justice. Such a focus will allow teachers to evaluate social institutions critically and commit them to working democratically with others. Hence, teachers need not only be aware of and eventually respect those from diverse cultural backgrounds but also be critical of the policies and practices of the school systems in which they work. This paper focuses on the actual educational practices regarding social justice that are enacted in a university lecture room. I examine the impact of a Social Justice Education coursework unit in nurturing transformative practices and capacities among a group of diverse university students who have the ability to keep an open mind and bring about change in the teaching-learning process. The paper is based on findings of a study, conducted from February 2004 to July 2004 that examined the pre-service teachers’ beliefs and knowledge for social justice before and after they completed the ‘Social Justice Issues in Secondary Education’ unit and after they completed their four week (May 2004) student teacher practicum in the field. The study focused on how and if the knowledge, experiences, activities, and strategies that the students engaged in and learned about in the ‘Social Justice Issues in Secondary Education’ class influenced their beliefs and practices about integrating a social justice perspective in their student teaching