Chapter 2: Teaching for Social Justice Across the Curriculum: Connecting Theory and Practice

Many teachers and educational institutions avow a commitment to social justice. What this means in practice, however, can be far from clear. This chapter presents a framework for helping teachers refine their understanding of social justice and enhance their ability to implement that commitment within their classroom practice. Designed to help teachers move beyond rhetoric and good intentions, the “six precepts of social justice” offers a unifying framework that connects theoretical constructs of social justice with practical applications to curriculum, instruction, and student learning outcomes. After defining the precepts and analyzing curricular models for addressing each, using examples drawn primarily from the context of K–12 education within the United States, the chapter concludes by identifying factors that help teachers sustain in their efforts to teach for social justice despite the many obstacles they confront.