Social Justice and Teacher Education: Issues, Challenges, and a Theory

Over the past decade, social justice has grown as a theme in the education of teachers. There is great variation in the use of this term, however, and both internal and external critics assert that “teacher education for social justice” is conceptually ambiguous with multiple instantiations and inadequate theoretical grounding. Further, only a few of those who write about teacher education and social justice are explicit about the [Page 1996]philosophical and political roots of social justice education, which increases the likelihood that it exists in name only or that it is diluted, trivialized, or co-opted.

This entry describes a contemporary theory of teacher education for social justice, one that is especially significant within the context of sharp critiques of social justice agendas, the conservative U.S. political ...