Teaching for social justice education: the intersection between identity, critical agency, and social justice education

Sexual and gender diversity in schools: Belonging, in/exclusion and the African child

“…The implications of this social positioning in terms of access to and completion of education is also part of this nuanced understanding of diversity in education. Taking this critical, anti-oppressive approach to education helps in elucidating the interconnections between race, class, gender and sexual diversity among others and assists in moving thinking away from essentialising identities to a more informed approach that is cognisant of a wider range of the oppressions, all as equally important (Francis & Le Roux, 2011). An optimal outcome of such processes of teacher education is the cultivation of a generation of teachers that see themselves as agents of change, capable of identifying and challenging racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia and transphobia in school settings.…”

“…An optimal outcome of such processes of teacher education is the cultivation of a generation of teachers that see themselves as agents of change, capable of identifying and challenging racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia and transphobia in school settings. While teachers may often want to avoid taking on responsibility for confronting issues of power, privilege and oppression (Francis & Le Roux, 2011), often due to a lack of prior education and support, national policies and frameworks are clear in terms of duties and responsibilities in terms of creating schools that are caring, supportive, safe and non-discriminatory, including in relation to sexual and gender diversity.…”

Espoused and enacted values of student teachers interrogating race, class, and gender in literary texts

“…However, these initiatives appeared to lack coherence. Other studies found that while teacher education programmes need to first disrupt issues of privilege before engaging with social justice issues, the student teachers in these programmes found them theoretical with limited practical application (Francis & Le Roux, 2011)-and preparation of student teachers, while aiming for a social justice agenda, often needs to give way to engagement with learning how to deal with and prepare for the realities of a South African classroom (Sayed, Badroodien, Salmon, & McDonald, 2016).…”

Interrogating gender inequality to address gender violence: Using literary texts as catalysts in an English Education lecture-room

“…While teacher education programmes usually focus on some aspects of multicultural education, issues of sexism, among others, are rarely dealt with in depth (Ladson-Billings, 2009). In a South African study by Francis and le Roux (2011), student teachers reported that their social justice education, including issues of gender, had been theoretical with few practical implications. Even when programmes highlight the power of education to bring about change, they often do not challenge inequities in society and fail to realise that schools, in the main, preserve such inequities (Lane et al, 2003).…”