Emily Zoeller, Ed.D., Braxton Brown
Abstract
Much has been written about social justice in education, but theory does not always translate to practice. Using cases from four elementary teachers, we explore how participants conceptualize and enact social justice approaches in their multilingual educational contexts. Data included interviews and document review, which were analyzed iteratively. Participant narratives show how each drew upon their unique identities and talents to enact social justice through guiding, storytelling, disrupting, and connecting. To address inequities in their contexts, teachers utilized their understanding of social justice to inform their methods and advocacy. We call for teacher preparation to develop justice-oriented practitioners by honoring diverse entry points and connecting knowledge with practice.
Recommended Citation
Zoeller, E. & Brown, B. (2025). “We have so many conversations about it, but what are we doing?”: Connecting social justice theory with practice in multilingual education spaces. Midwest Journal of Education, 2(2).
DOI
Corresponding Author
Emily Zoeller, Ed.D. Associate Professor of Education, Edgewood University, 1000 Edgewood College Drive, Madison, WI 53711
Email: [email protected]