Proposal Title
Faculty Intentions & Student Perceptions regarding Social Justice Teaching
Abstract
There have been many faculty conversations examining undergraduate students’ emergent understanding of prejudice, bias and oppression and the implications of these in terms of pedagogy. Lesley University’s faculty have recently begun utilizing Goodman and her colleagues’ social justice teaching competencies to examine their courses and pedagogy (Adams, Bell, Goodman, & Joshi, 2016). Qualitative research on social justice teaching competencies and students’ perceptions of these competencies was completed in an exploratory study at Lesley University utilizing undergraduate classes. Faculty intentions and student perceptions were explored via focus groups with students and interviews with faculty. Faculty intentions regarding course materials and pedagogical practices were explored for both “announced” and “practiced” pedagogy; syllabi were also reviewed for social justice competency course objectives. Focus groups with six classes explored students’ experiences and expectations regarding diversity knowledge, values and skills. Comparison of the intentions of faculty and the expectations and experiences of students (in the same class) may offer important insights into the challenges of intentional social justice teaching.
Start Date
27-3-2019 9:00 AM
End Date
27-3-2019 9:50 AM
Room Number
U-Hall 3-101
Presentation Type
Paper
Disciplines
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Faculty Intentions & Student Perceptions regarding Social Justice Teaching
There have been many faculty conversations examining undergraduate students’ emergent understanding of prejudice, bias and oppression and the implications of these in terms of pedagogy. Lesley University’s faculty have recently begun utilizing Goodman and her colleagues’ social justice teaching competencies to examine their courses and pedagogy (Adams, Bell, Goodman, & Joshi, 2016). Qualitative research on social justice teaching competencies and students’ perceptions of these competencies was completed in an exploratory study at Lesley University utilizing undergraduate classes. Faculty intentions and student perceptions were explored via focus groups with students and interviews with faculty. Faculty intentions regarding course materials and pedagogical practices were explored for both “announced” and “practiced” pedagogy; syllabi were also reviewed for social justice competency course objectives. Focus groups with six classes explored students’ experiences and expectations regarding diversity knowledge, values and skills. Comparison of the intentions of faculty and the expectations and experiences of students (in the same class) may offer important insights into the challenges of intentional social justice teaching.
