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Naidoo, Loshini (2007). Teaching for social justice: reflections from a core unit in a teacher 
education program. Transnational Curriculum Inquiry 4 (2) 
http://nitinat.library.ubc.ca/ojs/index.php/tci <access date> 

 

 
Teaching for social justice: reflections from a core unit 

in a teacher education program 
 

Loshini Naidoo 
University of Western Sydney 

 
Introduction 
 

Teachers cannot restrict their attention to the classroom alone, leaving the larger setting 
and the purposes of schooling to be determined by others. They must take active 
responsibility for the goals to which they are committed and for the social setting in 
which these goals may prosper. If they are not to be mere agents of others, of the state, of 
the military, of the media, of the experts and bureaucrats, they need to determine their 
own agency through a critical context of their calling (Scheffler, 1968, p. 11). 

 
The School of Education at the Penrith Campus of the University of Western Sydney has 
adopted a conceptual framework for pre-service teachers that includes a commitment to 
teaching for social justice to prepare teachers to work with students from diverse racial, 
ethnic, social class and language backgrounds. This initiative is an indication that there are 
sites of social injustices that need to be challenged if we are to have a society ‘in which the 
distribution of resources is equitable and all members are physically and psychologically safe 
and secure’ (Bell, 1997, p. 1). 

It is to face this challenge that ‘Social Justice Issues in Secondary Education’ was set-up 
as a core coursework unit of the Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary) degree. Developing a 
learning climate that encourages awareness and appreciation for those with various cultural 
backgrounds -racial/ethnic, language, socio-economic, gender, sexual orientation is an 
important role of this unit in the teacher education program. With a population of over 1.4 
million, Western Sydney is the third largest regional economy in Australia, after Sydney and 
Melbourne, and its population is larger than that of South Australia. It is the most culturally 
and linguistically diverse region in New South Wales, and also home to 60 percent of 
Australia’s largest urban Indigenous population (ABS, 1998). 

Greater Western Sydney is an area of both diversity and resilience. Not only the diversity 
of the physical and social geography of the region, but also the enormous diversity of issues, 
constraints and also opportunities that face each of the thirteen local government areas that 
comprise Greater Western Sydney. The region is far from homogeneous. Variations between 
one part of the region and another are important indicators of deprivation. Lack of housing 
amenity, households without access to a car, high unemployment rates particularly for males, 
poor English proficiency, are greater problems in some areas of Western Sydney than others. 
Parts of Greater Western Sydney have tended to house those citizens least able to exercise 
choice in terms of their jobs, homes and personal consumption. It is evident that Greater 
Western Sydney and the University of Western Sydney have a unique set of communities 
with higher proportions of relative social disadvantage and ultimately lower access to 
resources. The University of Western Sydney is coming to terms with these differences and is 
widening its activities in order to help these diverse communities help themselves.  



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Within these environments, identities are challenged; relationships between different 
cultural groups are both eroded and reshaped. This process of rupture leads in the first 
instance to confusions and rejections around different ‘world-views’. Often, the complexities 
that emerge are marginalised and silenced. If social cohesion is to be maintained, then the 
complexities of identities in ‘new times’ must be openly dealt with. These tensions are now 
being played out in the schools of the Greater Western Sydney region. It is crucial that these 
schools provide young people with the opportunities to openly discuss their concerns and 
fears; to acknowledge the differing viewpoints that exist; and to critically deconstruct the 
social, political and economic complexities of the issues that have contributed to current 
world events. 

To inform my own practice to understand better the students with whom I work, I decided 
to embark on a study to evaluate the students’ perceptions and understandings of social 
justice and its role to teaching based on their experience of the social justice unit coursework 
and school practicum. Students’ perceptions are vital for working on social justice in the 
classroom and for working towards a better education. Social justice education is not only a 
reality but it is also a part of the socio-cultural context of schooling that teacher’s encounter. 
In view of this fact, social justice education has become a major concern for educational 
scholars and practitioners in recent times since it is seen as an attempt to redress educational 
inequities rising from the increasing pluralism of westernised industrialised societies. Such 
pluralism has led to increasingly diverse school populations (Goldring & Greenfield, 2002) 
economic inequalities between mainstream and minoritised children (Coleman, 1990) 
discourses about the marginalized ‘other’ with little examination of the ‘self’ at the centre of 
the dominant culture (Asher, 2003) and challenges to institutionalised racism (Sleeter, 1996). 
  
Conceptualising social justice 
Defining social justice is difficult and the vagueness surrounding the term is indispensable 
and likely to create intellectual debates. However, in attempting to conceptualise social 
justice the following emerged; that it (social justice) was a ‘condensation symbol’ (Edelman, 
1987) defying ‘stipulative definition’ (Troyna & Vincent, 1995, p. 149). MacIntyre (1985) 
identified various ‘historical renditions’ of social justice within Australian politics and Rizvi 
& Lingard (1996) within political theory more generally. More recently, these have been 
challenged by post-modern, post-structural and postcolonial criticisms of their formerly 
universal character and ahistorical treatment (Foucault, 1984; Hall, 1996) as well as their 
failure to account for difference (Fuss, 1989; Young 1990). 

In this paper, social justice is defined as equal participation in a democratic society, 
which allows for equal distribution of resources to all its members, who have a degree of 
self- determination and interdependence (Bell, 1997). In the context of education, social 
justice means examining why and how schools are unjust for some students. Nieto (2000) 
asserts ‘it [a concern for social justice] means analysing school policies and practises… that 
devalue the identities of some students while overvaluing others’ (p.183). 

In conceptualising the role of social justice for teacher preparation, the focus in the paper 
is on assisting educators to critique the larger socio-cultural, political dimensions of teaching 
and schooling. This is in keeping with the assertion by Cochran–Smith (1999) that ‘part of 
teaching for social justice, is deliberately claiming the role of educator as well as activist 
based on political consciousness and on the ideological commitment to diminishing the 
inequities of American life’ (p.116). 
 
Theoretical framework 
As a university teacher educator, I have aspired to prepare student teachers to be active 
agents in their own professional development, and hence in determining the direction of 



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schools. This means, not merely translating theories into classroom practise, but recognising 
the fact that theories are produced through practises and that practises reflect particular 
theoretical commitments. The relation between social justice education and pedagogical 
practise is a core and often rarely addressed aspect. Freire’s (1985) argument of the necessity 
of reading both the word and the world is crucial here. It is not enough to teach about social 
justice. Educators must both orient and organise teaching in such a way as to practise social 
justice.  

An important discourse and one relevant to teaching social justice is critical theory. Beyer 
(2001, p.154) assets that ‘it is precisely in understanding the normative dimensions in 
education and how they are all intertwined with social, structural and ideological processes 
and realities that critical theory plays a key role’. Not only does critical theory examine the 
educational perspectives and politics that serve the interests of the dominant groups and 
silence and marginalise students of colour (Aronowitz & Giroux, 1980; Giroux & McLaren, 
1986; Shor, 1980) but critical pedagogy argues for an anti-oppression and emancipatory 
approach to education (Nieto, 1995). This implies that it is possible to critique schooling 
practises in terms of social class and capitalism in a national and globalised context 
(McLaren, 1999). Unfortunately, critical theory does not go far enough to deal with issues of 
race and ethnicity and hence, anti-racist education emerged as a discourse to place racism at 
the centre of the debate of equity and social justice. Anti-racist education aims to link race, 
ethnicity and power in the context of colonialism and power (McLaren & Mayo, 1999).  

The above-mentioned discourses indicate that teaching for social justice is more than 
instilling new knowledge. While the content should focus on the dominant – subordinate 
relationships in society (Sleeter, 1996) pedagogy should engage students as critical thinkers, 
participatory and active learners. To understand the impact of critical content and critical 
pedagogy, two other inter-related aspects - dialogic education and active learning need to be 
considered.  

Freire (1971) believed that dialogic education, in which the knowledge, perspectives and 
experiences of students and teachers are honoured, are central to the education process. In 
this process, students and teachers can become active citizens, challenging injustices from 
within and amongst themselves and in the social world around them. Reflection alone is 
insufficient. Active learning can help deepen students understanding.  

Kolb (1984) emphasised students bringing their lived experiences into the classrooms and 
subjecting them to reflection and experimentation. Asking students to reflect on and debrief 
such classroom experiences through discussion can have positive effects. Coupled with 
knowledge content – lectures, readings and other conceptual input, students can develop a 
more abstract understanding of social life and that understanding can be tested outside the 
classrooms and in new situations. Thinking, talking and applying class concepts and acting 
upon these, all reflect engaged learning (Nagda, Gurin & Lopez, 2003, p.169) and may be 
brought back to class as content for further exploration and meaning making. 

Important too are the works of Goffman (1964) and Helms (1990). The former explains 
how a social attribute may be used for discrediting an individual or a group, thereby 
promoting differential treatment by others. Goffman (1964, p. 3) defines stigma as ‘an 
attribute that makes [one] different from others in the category of persons available for him to 
be, and of a less desirable kind…He is thus reduced in our minds from a whole and usual 
person to a tainted, discounted one’. One often elaborately works to manage her/his identity 
away from a discreditable standing. Hence, careful attendance to how others treat us, or how 
we imagine being treated, provides information required for the work of managing our 
identities away from a stigmatised role. 

The latter (Helms, 1990) in his work on racial identity suggested that in any society 
where some form of identity is stigmatised, members of the dominant and subordinate groups 



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will react to each other based on the relative status of their identity. Helms (1990) suggested 
that African Americans' feelings of self-worth may be associated with their assessment of 
racial status as a minority group member. Thus, racial identity development can be a crucial 
aspect of personality development for African Americans. As noted by Helms (1990), 
intrinsic to racial identity is the belief that individuals need an appreciation of group 
identification in order to maintain a healthy sense of personal identity.  
 
Research process 
My research study focuses on the unit ‘Social Justice Issues in Secondary Education’. The 
unit, drawing on many of the theories reviewed above was designed: a) to introduce students 
to the historical, social, political and conceptual roots of social differences and social 
inequalities, b) to provide opportunities for engagement with students from differing socio-
cultural-economic backgrounds, c) to foster engagement through critical pedagogy, d) to help 
students gain a critical understanding of the role of schooling in broader social contexts, 
including the relevance of sociological perspectives to this awareness, e) to assist students in 
critically analysing the multiple contexts of power operating in schools and their relationships 
to concepts of discourse, subjectivity and identity as well as exploring the ‘politics of 
difference’ associated with identity, and f) to help students develop an understanding of the 
construction of gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality, class and the intersections between these 
concepts and to show how they are related to inequality in and outside schooling. 

The ‘unit content’ based on cultural diversity, difference, social justice and change, 
covered structural and historical basis of various forms of oppression (Sleeter, 1996). It also 
includes content on schooling in socio-cultural contexts, the role of education in social 
justice, multiple contexts of power relations in school, curriculum/ knowledge and discipline. 
The unit content, using social justice education as a basis combined a structural critique of 
inequality with possibilities of change. It is hoped that in the process of deconstruction, future 
educators are able to reconstruct social reality (Caputo, 1997; Gay, 1997). 

The unit pedagogy, which involved reflexivity as a form of social justice, operated in 
different ways. Students, in groups of thirty, met in tutorial groups for two hours to discuss 
and debrief lectures and readings, and to participate with others in the group to deconstruct 
and thereby provide students with an ‘apprenticeship for the possibility of participation in 
democracy’ (Nieto, 1995, p. 207). Reflection was also encouraged through assessments, two 
per semester, in which students articulated their understanding of issues covered in the unit in 
relation to their own perspectives and experiences. The criteria for writing the assessment 
was provided and included amongst others the critical and analytical argument of the issues 
studied.  

Nieto (2000, p. 180) asserts that we ‘place equity front and centre of the teacher 
preparation process if we are to transform teacher education.’ She put forth five ways in 
which teacher educators can situate equity at the centre of the teacher education program. 
Firstly, teacher educators should be encouraged to take a stand on social justice and diversity 
issues. Secondly, social justice should be made ubiquitous in teacher education. Thirdly, 
teaching should be promoted as an ongoing process of transformation, fourthly, teacher 
educators need to learn to challenge racism and bias and finally, teacher educators need to 
develop a community of critical friends (Nieto, 2000, pp. 182-183).  

The unit ‘Social Justice Issues in Secondary Education’, in content and pedagogy, was 
able to take a stand on social justice and diversity issues because it asserted the critical 
values, attitudes and skills necessary for just an equitable teaching. In this way, the unit 
addressed diversity in value added ways (Nieto, 2000) and gave students from diverse 
backgrounds a greater opportunity to interact. Furthermore, by taking a stand on social justice 
issues, the unit constantly reinforced and re-assessed issues relating to diversity and social 



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justice in lectures, tutorials and assessments. By constantly re-affirming that teaching was an 
ongoing act of transformation (Nieto, 2000), teacher educators studying the unit became 
aware of the socio-cultural, political context for their teaching and were able to reflect upon 
their own identities in relation the identities of their students especially as it related to issues 
of difference, diversity, power and oppression.  

Supporting teachers to fundamentally reconceptualise the relationship between teacher 
and student into a dynamic, bi-directional, mutually reflexive relationship is intimately tied to 
concepts of social justice and equity (Ball, 2000; Haberman, 1995). In examining issues 
related to gender, class, sexuality, racism and indigenous Australia, teacher educators 
studying the unit were able to build a knowledge base that allowed them to challenge 
injustices that occurred in teaching and learning.  

Finally, to sustain a process of critical reflection and ongoing teacher transformation, 
students studying the ‘Social Justice Issues in Secondary Education’ unit, completed a four 
week school practicum that allowed them to make connections between theory and practice, 
and hence allowed them to understand the context in which they teach and the students that 
they teach.  

To establish whether the ‘Social Justice in Secondary Education’ unit acts as a catalyst to 
innovative teaching about social justice issues in the classroom, a study was undertaken to 
ask the ‘questions that really matter’ (Cochrane–Smith, 2000a, p.18). This meant that the 
questions that mattered had to be grounded in teachers’ work that is ‘interpretive, political, 
theoretical as well as practical, strategic and local’ (Cochrane–Smith, 2000a, p.18).  

This paper presents a critical analysis of the unit as reflected in the responses of my pre-
service teachers to an open-ended question I posed to the student cohort during the beginning 
of the autumn (February 2004) semester, to assess student knowledge and understanding of 
social justice. Content analysis of their short essay responses will show how their thinking 
reflects internalised ideologies that justify the status quo and devalue diversity and 
difference. Following the analysis of their responses and discussion of the findings, it will be 
seen how the unit content and structure was used to counteract the cognitively limited 
thinking so much so that the twelve students who volunteered to be interviewed at the end of 
that semester were able to demonstrate through their transformative emotional growth 
experiences in that semester, a commitment to social justice and equity in their teaching. The 
concluding discussion will hence show that the ‘Social Justice Issues in Secondary 
Education’ unit does impact on teacher educators’ understanding of social justice and equity 
issues.  

Of the group of twelve students who volunteered to participate and who were not 
identified within the research results, eight were females and four were males. They differed 
in terms of cultural backgrounds, one was Pakistani born, others were Anglo-Celtic and yet 
others were of European descent. Their sexuality differed in that while most of them were 
heterosexual, one student during the interview declared that she was a lesbian. The students 
were mostly from working class backgrounds and resided in Western Sydney. Of the twelve 
students, two were mature age students with young families. The first research question 
‘What social justice means to me’ was given to the entire student cohort (68) at the beginning 
of the semester in the hope of determining what ideologies circulate in relation to social 
justice. This was conducted as a written response to isolate ideological discourses. The 
interview later in the semester, which focused on the group of twelve volunteer students, 
gave these students an opportunity to comment and recount their experiences in the unit and 
in the classroom. This part of the study occurred after the students’ practicum in the field and 
towards the end of semester so as to serve as a comparative tool to participants’ responses 
earlier in the semester. Changes relating to participants’ empathy, meaning and definition of 
social justice were noted for further analysis. 



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The literature search had revealed that while students’ school practicum experience had 
been adequately researched, there are almost no studies that focus on students’ experiences 
with social justice issues. As such the central aim of the study was to 1) document accounts 
detailing the experiences of pre-service teachers in social justice education. It was hoped that 
by having these social justice conversations that it would be possible to investigate students’ 
understandings of the meaning of social justice so that they may be able to teach for social 
justice in the increasingly diverse school population. In our global world where the rift 
between these accesses is getting larger and there is an increasing divergence of the 
privileged and non-privileged, education in social justice issues for upcoming teachers can 
prepare them consciously by bringing theses issues to the surface. This may be able to 
advance their understanding on societal interactions and develop a commitment to teach 
students in an egalitarian environment (Lewis, 2001). 

It was proposed that the purpose of the study was also to 2) identify the critical discourses 
that emerge in the contested environment of schools and classrooms. By focusing on social 
justice issues, it is hoped the study will also provide insights on socio-cultural issues that 
arise in schools and classrooms. As such, information obtained from the study will lead to 3) 
an awareness of and respect for those from diverse cultural backgrounds as well as an 
understanding of the policies and practices of school systems within which teachers work. It 
was hoped that the research will make 4) a valuable contribution to knowledge about social 
justice issues in teacher education at UWS, Penrith Campus by understanding the discourses 
influencing secondary pre-service teachers’ perspectives about the extent to which social 
justice issues is incorporated into their school practicum program. Not only did the research 
try to understand and document the participants’ theoretical and pedagogical approaches to 
social justice education, it also demonstrated an increasing awareness 5) of pre-service 
teachers’ experiences of social and cultural diversity issues in schools and classrooms. 
Furthermore the focus on the development of social theory around the contradictory 
relationship between education as the simultaneous challenger of social inequities and the 
maintenance of the social order, particularly around social justice issues reinforced the 
conceptual framework of the School Of Education. 

This research fills a vacuum in understanding social justice issues in teacher education 
programs at UWS, Penrith. It is a fact that racism, gender, ethnicity, sexuality to name a few 
are social justice issues relevant to schooling. Consequently, teachers have a professional, 
moral and legal obligation in intervening and addressing issues related to social justice and 
with providing their students with a safe and supportive environment free from 
discrimination. Amid generalised feelings of global unrest ensuing from September 11, it is 
more likely that individuals from certain ethnic sectors will experience elevated risks of 
subjection to racist comments and behaviour. Hence during school practicum, pre-service 
teachers are likely to encounter instances of social injustice experienced by school students 
from a non –dominant culture. It is absolutely essential therefore to engage pre-service 
teachers in social justice education. 
 
Method and techniques of research 
The methodological approach was ethnographic and included discourse analysis, in-depth 
interviews and collation, description and analysis of pedagogical frameworks. This approach 
also included an analysis of materials and approaches used in the subject. 
 
In-depth interview 
The key to this research study was the way in which definitions of social justice and social 
justice education was shaped by participants’ experience of the social justice education 
coursework and school practicum. This study aimed to explore the dynamics of this process 



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using in-depth interviews of participants who were students in the ‘Social Justice Issues in 
Secondary Education’ unit. In-depth interviews were carried out towards the end of semester 
to serve as a comparative tool to participants’ responses earlier in the semester. In-depth 
interview is a qualitative research technique that allows person-to-person discussion. It can 
lead to increased insight into people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviour on important issues. 
This type of interview is often unstructured and therefore permits the interviewer to 
encourage an informant (respondent) to talk at length about the topic of interest.  

It is a flexible approach that aims to ask questions to explain the reasons underlying a 
problem or practice. You can use the technique to gather ideas, to gather information, and to 
develop materials for social justice education. This allowed the researcher an opportunity to 
gain an insight into the various meanings, perceptions and understandings identified in the 
written responses and to note changes relating to participants’ definitions of social justice. 
 
Discourse analysis 
To delve more deeply into the values and ideas that circulate in relation to social justice, the 
student cohort (68) engaged in a written response entitled: ‘What Social Justice Means to 
Me’. In teaching and learning about social justice, there is emphasis on a range of genres 
mainly in written responses and class discussions. Discourse analysis involves seeing talk 
and text as social practice (Bryman and Burgess, 1994). Discourse Analysis is a 
deconstructive reading and interpretation of a issue or text and will, thus, not provide 
absolute answers to a specific problem or issue, but enable us to understand the conditions 
behind a specific ‘problem’ and make us realize that the essence of that ‘problem’, and its 
resolution, lie in its assumptions; the very assumptions that enable the existence of that 
problem or issue. The written response from participants which was conducted at the 
beginning of the autumn semester 2004 focused on content-meanings; form, genre and field 
since these demonstrate action; and argumentation showing how texts are organised (Bryman 
and Burgess, 1994). It was hoped that the analysis of the discourse would provide a rich 
source of data for comparison with participants’ views once the coursework and school 
practicum had been completed. 
 
Qualitative case study 
The qualitative case study method (Merriam, 1998) was selected because it allows the 
researcher to gain an insider’s view of questions being studied (Patton, 1990; Seidman, 
1998). In qualitative research, the investigator tells each participant’s story by using the voice 
of the participant to tell the participants’ experiences. A triangulation approach was adopted 
involving the review of a written response by participants, an in-depth interview and 
document analysis. The triangulation approach is a mixed-method analysis approach. The 
core premise of triangulation is that all methods have inherent biases and limitations, so use 
of only one method to assess a given phenomenon will inevitably yield biased and limited 
results. It is important to process as well as analyse the data. Thus a triangulation approach, 
one that uses multiple layers of analysis through systematic procedures, is used to identify 
essential features and relationships. A combination of the above three (3) research methods 
would adequately address the questions of the study and provide a rich source of data. 

Findings  
At the beginning of the autumn (February 2004) semester, students in the ‘Social Justice 
Issues in Secondary Education’ unit were asked to write a short essay (250 words) entitled 
‘What Social Justice Means to me.’ Of the sixty-eight students that made up the cohort, 
eighty six percent believed social justice to be related to fairness and equality with 
intolerance of discrimination. The responses highlighted an appreciation of inequality rather 



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than an acknowledgement of inequality as a result of hierarchical and systemic differences of 
domination and subordination. The following selected responses from students are indicative 
of the limited thought processes. 
 

When I heard the term Social Justice, for the first time last week, I did not know what to 
think…  But I suppose it means to be fair in the classroom. 
 
Social Justice means equity and fairness and it promotes fairness and  personal rights. 
 
Social Justice means equality, equity and the distribution of fairness. 
 
I am not really sure; perhaps justice refers to the treatment being fair. 
 
Social justice encompasses areas of anti-discrimination. 
 

To truly understand social justice, it is important that the responses reflect an understanding 
of the historical, political, economic and social forces that shape relations of power in 
schools, classrooms and communities. Thus, the majority of students explained social justice 
in a limited way… as fairness and equality without recognising the structural inequality built 
into the social order. Only seven percent of the respondents made a link between social 
justice and the structures of society.  
 

Social Justice is a concept of rights and privileges of the citizens living in a social set up. 
 
Social Justice means that anyone can participate in learning irrespective of gender, 
ethnicity, class, sexuality and disability. 
 
Social Justice is the idea that all members of society are given equal rights including 
education availability, health care and adequate housing. 
 
Social Justice means equality for all regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or social class. 

 
While the majority of students failed to link social justice to other forms of societal 
oppression and exploitation, there were still others (about seven percent) who had very 
different ideas of what social justice meant to them. 
 

Social Justice starts with the individual and if the individual were to place the needs of 
him/her before others, this will be an excellent start. 
 
Social Justice is to be able to ride a bike legally on the road and not be abused by oil 
burning car drivers who entomb themselves within their own metal world in which they 
play God. 
 
Social Justice is about evaluating the disparity among school students. 
 
I have no idea. It sounds pretty airy-fairy. 
 
It is a term that does not involve government or political bodies to intervene. It relies on 
people enforcing what they deem is right. 
 



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These students studying this unit have limited knowledge and understanding of social justice 
issues. Not only are they unaware of their own ideological perspectives, but they are also 
unaware of how their subjective identities reflect an uncritical identification with the existing 
social order. 

For those who made the link between social justice and law or politics, the link was more 
one of ‘legal/law’ rather than equal access to say education and healthcare as examples. To 
achieve social justice, the existing structural inequality has to be recognised and struggled 
against. The equality and fairness that most of the students write of is not the one reflected in 
this explanation. Thus their responses reflect uncritical limited ways of thinking about social 
justice.  

One of my outcomes in this unit is to encourage students to think critically about 
education in general and about schooling in particular and more particularly in relation to 
social justice and their own identities as teachers. The unit is so organised that students have 
an opportunity through lectures, tutorials, readings and online discussions to critically 
analyse the social purposes of schooling. Students are also made aware of the fact that 
education is not neutral; that it can serve various political, economic and cultural interests 
(Cagan, 1978; Freire, 1971; O’Neill, 1981). Not only do students learn about macro social 
(societal) issues but they also examine micro social (classroom) issues.  

In an analysis of the social construction of childhood, students examine the concept of 
childhood within a historical perspective. They learn that the creation of the concept of 
childhood is ‘grounded in enlightenment/ modernist, cultural bias that places limitations on 
younger human beings, constructs privilege and power for those who are older and lessens 
the connections we make with children and each other’ (Sloan, 1997, p. 158). This 
construction of the child silences a group of human beings, removing all possibilities for 
social justice. Our constructions for social justice therefore embrace the struggle for 
liberations avoiding constructions of the ‘Other’ and aiming for just and caring communities 
(Giroux & Simon, 1989). The power relations constructed within such patriarchal value 
systems such as education would be acknowledged and evaluated. 

Students also encountered the scholarship of Apple (1993) which demonstrates that it is 
possible to engage in educational practises that are meaningful, critical and grounded in a 
sense of critical literacy. From him they also learn that education is inherently political, an 
arena in which groups attempt to institutionalise their cultures, histories and visions of social 
justice issues. Similarly, Meadmore (1999) is examined for her views in social class and the 
ways in which it works in and through education to produce advantage and disadvantage. In 
the same way, we look at how Bourdieu’s (Webb, Shirato, & Danaher, 2002) concept of 
‘habitus’ provides the core of his understanding of how schools work to reproduce social 
inequalities.  

The unit further examines modernism, post-modernism and feminism as three of the most 
important discourses for developing a cultural politics and pedagogical practise capable of 
extending and theoretically advancing a radical politics of democracy. Afshar and Maynard 
(1994) are studied for their concerns with theorising the relationships between ‘race’ and 
‘gender’ oppression and the extent to which it is furthered by using the concept of 
‘difference’. Students also examine ways in which schools support and reinforce binaries or 
heterosexuality/ homosexuality in terms of normality and abnormality and ways in which 
Aboriginal Australians and other minority groups are portrayed as objects of paternalistic 
concern. 

During lectures, tutorials and online discussions, students discussed their thoughts and 
feelings about the abovementioned authors/ ideas and reflected upon the soundness of such 
arguments. In so doing, students struggled with the ideas, values and social interests at the 
heart of the different educational and social visions which they as future teachers must either 



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accept, reject or resists. The ‘Social Justice Issues for Secondary Education’ unit thus 
provides a forum for students to debate and reflect upon their own views in relation to the 
views of others. Freire’s (1971) strategy of ‘problem posing’ is often used as a strategy for 
students to detect bias and prejudice in school texts. Sometimes, an alternative view of 
history is presented and often reflects aspects of the ‘hidden curriculum’, unmasking the 
political and cultural role of schooling of which many students are unaware. 

Such intellectual and emotional growth opportunities allow students to reflect on the 
nature of their own socially constructed knowledge and identities. This will lead to a 
transformation in thinking which was clearly reflected in the responses to the interview 
questions conducted at the end of autumn (July 2004) semester in which twelve volunteers 
were interviewed. Their responses reflect a transformation in students’ values, beliefs and 
ideologies regarding social justice. 

An analysis of the data obtained from student interviews indicated that consciousness was 
raised about social justice issues during the unit. Clearly the ideas expressed during the 
interview indicated that the unit increased awareness of social justice issues, allowed students 
to be self-reflective about their teaching practices, while on professional experience, 
permitted students to identify issues relating to social justice in the school environment and to 
offer possible solutions which could make a positive change to the school environment. 

Through unit readings and lectures, followed by practicum in schools, students reported 
that their awareness of social justice issues had increased and changed the way that they 
viewed the world. One student reported that the unit taught him about: 
 

Equality for all people, having opportunities, caring for others, making a better world, 
understanding why inequities exist and looking at practical solutions to power, privilege 
and wealth, such as the underprivileged in terms of resources, education and social 
capital, etc. being more in tune with human relationships. 

 
Students also spoke about the fact that the unit content allowed them to be more critical of 
issues and understand the importance of access to resources. Another student commented 
that: 
 

An awareness of social justice issues means giving everyone the opportunity to reach 
their potential. So it doesn’t mean giving everyone the same money or the same job or 
whatever. It means that everyone has the same access to their own potential. I think 
that’s basically it, irregardless of gender, sex, race, ethnicity …  

 
There was certainly consciousness raised in the unit and this was further supported by the 
impact the unit content had on school practicum. As a result of the unit, students were able to 
reflect upon their own roles as teachers in the classroom setting. A student summarised his 
self-reflection by saying that: 
 

It’s given me the opportunity to reflect on some of the social justice issues in school, such 
as gender and racism. In terms of change I’ve always been fair and non discriminatory. 
Through self-examination I become more aware of my experiences, and analytical of my 
constructed prejudice.  

   
Interestingly the unit made an impact on students from both the dominant and minority 
cultures. One student reported that: 
 



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What we’ve learned challenged our assumptions of morality and opinions. I don’t always 
agree with people’s views. They can be overly critical and personally sensitive. Being 
from the dominant culture, myself, I have gained more respect for ‘others’ while I was 
out at schools. For example, I took on feminism more seriously when we were talking 
about a mothers place in society. Those things affected me. I’m more aware now about 
differing perspectives. 

 
Overall, students believed that by studying the unit they were able to bring about not only a 
change in themselves but also a change in the school environment. A student reflected that: 
 

Social justice is broader not simply about equality. School practicum taught me that it is 
also about not being discriminated, teased, or abused and having a school as a safe place 
to learn. 

 
Another student believed that the unit and school practicum encouraged him/her to reflect 
upon their privileged upbringing. 
 

I’m from a privileged middle class background. We had money, and education was 
valued. I thought that everybody had equal opportunities, and access to further their 
education. Now I realize that other prejudicial factors, such as race and sexual also 
affect access to the privileges that education provides. 

 
Acknowledging recognition that teachers are predominantly envisaged as white, middle to 
upper middle class heterosexuals (Smulyan, 2004) because a majority of the teachers are 
from a privileged background, gives rise to the need for social justice to be taught to the 
privileged (Smith, 1999). This will bring forward a realization that the institutions that are 
responsible for maintaining social inequalities can also be used as a catalyst towards social 
change (McMahon, 2003). 

Yet another student saw the unit and professional experience as providing an opportunity 
to closely examine and assess issues relating especially to racism and aboriginality. This 
pursuance of knowledge and further research was reflected in the comment made that the unit 
and school teaching experience encouraged: 
 

Research into issues of Aboriginality. Looking at what different types of socializations 
that there are, and how differences in socialization, at home, changes what’s considered 
normal behaviour in the classroom. Now I’m better prepared to approach an Aboriginal 
student and deal with their responses and interpret them more accurately. 

  
It would appear from the above as though students’ understanding of social justice issues 
particularly in the secondary school deepened as a result of the unit. Not only were their 
beliefs and assumptions challenged but the unit and its content also allowed students to 
challenge many of the unjust practices that became evident in the classroom and school 
playground. 

Still the analysis of the transcripts indicated that there was room for improvement in the 
unit more particularly in regards to providing actual examples or strategies for dealing with 
social justice issues in the classroom 
 

To some degree I was familiar with racial, sexual, and gender issues, but not in terms of 
why they’re there, and being able to identify where they are coming from, and who the 
powers are causing factions or inequalities to occur. Nevertheless is important to be 



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aware that people are different, and that they figure in hierarchal power struggles over 
resources, knowledge, etc. Treating people equally will resolve many issues. 

 
In general, students wanted real strategies for real classrooms. As one student stated: 
 

I haven’t strongly defined strategies for teaching, yet. I think I will develop strategies on 
the job. Theories are nice, but I know what I’m going to do. I’d be deluding myself if I 
walked into a class expecting things to be perfect. I want to know and study the students 
in terms of their personality, cultural background and expectations, their issues, English, 
literacy skills, and economic circumstances. I’m more motivated and determined 
according to the curriculum in knowing students better so I can focus my lessons more 
appropriately. In terms of power relationships I can move from being the leader and 
them being the submissive students if I knew more about the students. I can also empower 
them to succeed in the school environment without making them conform slavishly to the 
current system. 

 
Conclusion 
This has led me to conclude that the ‘Social Justice Issues in Secondary Education’ unit has 
provided the opportunity for students to recognise and evaluate the ideological influences that 
shape their thinking about schooling, society, themselves and diverse others. As a pre-service 
teacher is progressively made aware of the current struggle that is occurring everyday within 
the educational institutions, students, through the unit, came to the realization of the enormity 
of the obscured political forces that dominate the curriculum. Not only had this unit given 
these students the motivation to teach students under any challenging circumstances, but also 
it had created an appetite to learn about other cultures and the continual study of social 
justices issues.  

A teacher needs to act as a mediator between two cultures, both the dominant and the 
disadvantaged. This is achievable by facilitating the less dominant to understand, acclimatise 
and hence thrive academically in pursuit of conquering the dominant culture without loss of 
identity, therefore bridging the cultural gap and levelling the societal inequality, resulting in 
the empowerment of students in succeeding academically and socially (Chisholm 1994). 
A teacher may be successful in a school that is predominantly white and middle-class, but 
when placed in a school that is disadvantaged and underprivileged, may find it difficult to 
cope and, in turn may devalue their self worth as a teacher. A study of social justice could 
contribute to their success as a teacher by making them aware of their position within the 
school environment and by allowing them to adopt critical teaching strategies to challenge 
the status quo. Social justice education therefore needs to be continually taught and 
monitored as it is not a natural or permanent structure (Merrett, 2004). As one student stated: 
  

If you want to stay being a teacher and make it meaningful, you’ve got to look at social 
justice with your heart… 

 
Since this research study was undertaken to provide a greater link between theory and 
practice, the unit has been improved to include an integrated task between the social justice 
Issues unit and the students’ teaching methods, so that students will develop an original 
teaching unit of work relevant to their teaching methods, which can be used in the classroom. 
The unit will need to address the following: 
 

• A rationale (750 words) justifying why this unit of work should be taught. The 
justification should briefly indicate how the unit meets syllabus requirements but 



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more substantially how it meets the directions set by the broader school curriculum in 
terms of equity and social justice. The rationale should be linked to relevant 
sociological theories with evidence from relevant weekly readings covered in lectures 
and tutorials, specifically Social Justice Issues in Schooling. The rationale needs to 
argue a position on the equity of social justice concerns associated with an issue in 
schooling and the broader community.  

• The unit outline must include all the necessary components as outlined in method 
lectures and tutorials. These will include outcomes, content, assessment, resources, 
timeline and anything else relevant to a unit of work in your method area. 

• In-depth lesson plans for 4 lessons will also be included. Each lesson will need to 
show connections in terms of outcomes and content as well as an explanation of the 
relevance of the particular lesson to equity and social justice issues, strategies and 
resources addressed and used by each lesson. 

 
I have also extended the unit content to include an examination of the globalized community 
in which students live in order to move students’ thinking from the local to the global. 
Further examination of the effects of globalisation on local communities is inherent to a 
pedagogy of social justice. Globalisation forces seem to be introducing a mix of 
homogenising tendencies, but they are also opening space for new identities and contestation 
of established values and norms, many detrimental to the achievement of true social justice 
(Stromquist & Monkman, 2000). The development of identities, friendly to market 
economies will press educational systems and programs towards greater uniformity… 
consequently creating tension between the global and the local in the educational arena.  
 
 
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Author 
Loshini Naidoo is a lecturer in the School of Education at the University of Western Sydney, 
Australia. Email: L.Naidoo@uws.edu.au