Addressing social justice in classrooms of linguistic, cultural and worldview minorities: teacher perspective

Abstract

Social justice is a vital part of education concerning cultural diversity, and this learning fits well to the broader goals of humanities and social sciences education. Addressing discrimination and inequality can be challenging when pupils from linguistic, cultural and worldview minorities are in the classroom. This article presents results from a survey of 76 Finnish teachers whose pupils are in a linguistic, cultural and worldview minority: What are their experiences and preferred approaches when addressing social justice in classroom, and how the preferences are shaped by their experiences, views, backgrounds and the teaching context? In their teaching, these teachers use abstract concepts of social justice and direct juxtapositions less frequently with younger pupils than with older ones. Teachers legitimate their practices through both the aims of the subjects they teach and a more general teaching mission. They use a range of teaching methods, but although activist projects are not prominent in their practice, most report that their teaching increases pupil engagement with social justice. The teachers feel that minority pupils need to understand their privilege in the global context, and need to be empowered both to face racism and discrimination and to negotiate cultural taboos in a liberal society.