Improving my professional practice by infusing values of social justice as a teacher educator

Abstract

English: My dissertation is a reflection on the first cycle of a journey in which I seek to make my practice a living theory by answering the question: How do I improve my professional practice as a teacher educator by infusing it with values of social justice? In undertaking this study I identified four guiding questions: • What is my own understanding of social justice and its values? • Why is it important to influence my practice so as not to be a living contradiction? • How do I improve my own professional practice as a social justice educator for the benefit of my professional growth and development, and that of my students and colleagues? • How can I open up spaces for my students and colleagues to engage in issues of social justice? I employed a living theory approach in conducting this study because it created a space for me in which to improve my practice by embedding it with the values that I cherish. The data collection methods I used included video and audio recordings of my lessons, document analysis, validation group and a journal for personal reflection throughout this process of seeking to improve my practice. The first chapter begins with mapping out some of the concerns and the rationale that led me to conduct this study, while also reflecting on the process of deepening my understanding of social justice. Chapter 2 details my research design and methodology, providing arguments for selecting a living theory approach to improve my practice. In the third chapter, I deconstruct my own socialisation with the aim of understanding the role it plays in shaping both my personal and professional identity. Chapter 3 concludes with a reflection on how my socialisation was contested and how I identified contestation as one of the reasons why I began to value social justice and, eventually, to undertake this study. In the fourth chapter, I contextualise my practice by reviewing various policy documents that inform curriculum development within teacher training and schooling. I further discuss the vision and mission of the University of the Free State as my current employer and explain the implications they have for my practice and curriculum development for the Faculty of Education. Within chapter 4 I also extend my understanding of what it means to teach for social justice by discussing its frameworks and components. The chapter concludes with the argument that teaching is a conscious act that engages students in the type of learning that equips them with knowledge to be specialists in their chosen field of study, while enabling them to realise their citizenry responsibility to become active change agents. Finally, chapter 5 reflects on my first action cycle by identifying concerns regarding my practice, reflecting for action, planning for action and implementing my plan. The chapter concludes by reflecting on the implementation of my first cycle before alluding to some of the implications for teacher education, staff development and schooling.

Afrikaans: My verhandeling is ʼn refleksie op die eerste siklus van ʼn reis waarin ek poog om my praktyk ʼn lewende teorie te maak deur die volgende vraag te beantwoord: Hoe verbeter ek my professionele praktyk as onderwyser-­‐opvoeder deur dit met waardes van sosiale geregtigheid te besiel? In my onderneming van hierdie studie het ek vier leidende vrae geïdentifiseer: • Wat is my eie begrip van sosiale geregtigheid en die waardes daarvan? • Waarom is dit belangrik om my praktyk te beïnvloed sodat dit nie ʼn lewende teenstrydigheid is nie? • Hoe verbeter ek my eie professionele praktyk as ʼn sosiale geregtigheidsopvoeder tot voordeel van my professionele groei en ontwikkeling, asook dié van my studente en kollegas? • Hoe kan ek ruimtes oopstel vir my studente en kollegas om in sosiale geregtigheidskwessies betrokke te raak? Ek het ʼn lewende teorie-­‐benadering in hierdie studie aangewend omdat dit ʼn ruimte skep waarin ek my praktyk kan verbeter deur dit vas te lê in die waardes wat ek hoog ag. Die dataversamelingsmetodes was onder meer video-­‐ en oudio-­‐opnames van my lesse, dokumentanalise, validasiegroep en ʼn joernaal vir persoonlike refleksie regdeur hierdie proses van praktyksverbetering. Die eerste hoofstuk begin met ʼn uiteensetting van die grondrede en sommige kwessies wat my tot die uitvoer van hierdie studie gelei het. Die hoofstuk reflekteer ook oor die proses waartydens my begrip van sosiale geregtigheid verdiep is. Hoofstuk 2 gee besonderhede oor my navorsingsontwerp en -­‐metodologie deur argumente te verskaf vir my keuse van ʼn lewende teorie-­‐benadering om my praktyk te verbeter. In die derde hoofstuk dekonstrueer ek my eie sosialisering ten einde die rol wat dit in die vorming van my persoonlike sowel as professionele identiteit speel, te begryp. Hoofstuk 3 sluit af met ʼn refleksie oor hoe my sosialisering uitgedaag is en hoe ek uitdaging geïdentifiseer het as een van die redes waarom ek sosiale geregtigheid hoog op prys begin stel het – dit het uiteindelik tot hierdie studie gelei. In die vierde hoofstuk kontekstualiseer ek my praktyk deur ʼn oorsig te gee van verskeie beleidsdokumente wat kurrikulumontwikkeling binne onderwyser-­‐opleiding en -­‐opvoeding besiel. Ek bespreek ook die visie en missie van die Universiteit van die Vrystaat as my huidige werkgewer en verduidelik die implikasies wat dit vir my praktyk en kurrikulumontwikkeling vir die Fakulteit Opvoedkunde het. In hoofstuk 4 brei ek ook my begrip uit van wat dit beteken om in die lig van sosiale geregtigheid te onderrig deur die raamwerke en komponente van sosiale geregtigheid te bespreek. Die hoofstuk sluit af met die argument dat onderrig ʼn bewuste aksie is wat studente betrokke maak in die soort leer wat hulle met kennis toerus om spesialiste in hulle gekose studieveld te wys, en hulle terselfdertyd in staat stel om hulle burgerlike verantwoordelikheid om aktiewe veranderings-­‐agente te word, te verwesenlik. Laastens reflekteer hoofstuk 5 oor my eerste aksie-­‐siklus deur kwessies rakende my praktyk, refleksie vir aksie, beplanning vir aksie en implementering van my plan te identifiseer. Die hoofstuk sluit af met ʼn refleksie oor die implementering van my eerste siklus, waarna ek na sommige van die implikasies vir onderwyser-­‐opleiding, personeelontwikkeling en -­‐opvoeding verwys.