Exploring Social Justice Education as a Responsive Middle Grades Pedagogy to Promote Justice-Oriented Citizenship
Middle grades students across the U.S. are learning about citizenship both explicitly and overtly through the hidden curriculum, which, in the majority of schools, promotes passive compliant citizenship. Culturally and developmentally responsive teaching in the middle grades, however, necessitates a...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Education Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/13/9/852 |
| _version_ | 1797580514340634624 |
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| author | Jessica DeMink-Carthew Jeremy W. DeMink Kristie W. Smith |
| author_facet | Jessica DeMink-Carthew Jeremy W. DeMink Kristie W. Smith |
| author_sort | Jessica DeMink-Carthew |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Middle grades students across the U.S. are learning about citizenship both explicitly and overtly through the hidden curriculum, which, in the majority of schools, promotes passive compliant citizenship. Culturally and developmentally responsive teaching in the middle grades, however, necessitates active authentic learning that engages the emerging criticality and sense of justice of young adolescents. For this reason, social justice education (SJE) is an especially promising responsive pedagogy for the middle grades. This study investigates the impact of a social justice project designed to promote justice-oriented views of citizenship on middle grades student perceptions of “good citizenship”. Findings indicate shifts in student perceptions of good citizenship toward more participatory and justice-oriented views of citizenship as well as increased critical consciousness. In addition, the findings indicate two new themes in student perceptions: (a) good citizens work together and (b) good citizens sometimes have to defy norms for justice. We close with a critical analysis of the findings and implications for responsive justice-oriented teaching and scholarship. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:51:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6026a3e069994018b7c800c919556f7a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-7102 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:51:09Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Education Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-6026a3e069994018b7c800c919556f7a2023-11-19T10:18:32ZengMDPI AGEducation Sciences2227-71022023-08-0113985210.3390/educsci13090852Exploring Social Justice Education as a Responsive Middle Grades Pedagogy to Promote Justice-Oriented CitizenshipJessica DeMink-Carthew0Jeremy W. DeMink1Kristie W. Smith2Department of Education, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05401, USADepartment of Education, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05401, USADepartment of Secondary and Middle Grades Education, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA 30144, USAMiddle grades students across the U.S. are learning about citizenship both explicitly and overtly through the hidden curriculum, which, in the majority of schools, promotes passive compliant citizenship. Culturally and developmentally responsive teaching in the middle grades, however, necessitates active authentic learning that engages the emerging criticality and sense of justice of young adolescents. For this reason, social justice education (SJE) is an especially promising responsive pedagogy for the middle grades. This study investigates the impact of a social justice project designed to promote justice-oriented views of citizenship on middle grades student perceptions of “good citizenship”. Findings indicate shifts in student perceptions of good citizenship toward more participatory and justice-oriented views of citizenship as well as increased critical consciousness. In addition, the findings indicate two new themes in student perceptions: (a) good citizens work together and (b) good citizens sometimes have to defy norms for justice. We close with a critical analysis of the findings and implications for responsive justice-oriented teaching and scholarship.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/13/9/852social justice educationmiddle gradesresponsivenesscitizenshipcivic educationsocial action |
| spellingShingle | Jessica DeMink-Carthew Jeremy W. DeMink Kristie W. Smith Exploring Social Justice Education as a Responsive Middle Grades Pedagogy to Promote Justice-Oriented Citizenship Education Sciences social justice education middle grades responsiveness citizenship civic education social action |
| title | Exploring Social Justice Education as a Responsive Middle Grades Pedagogy to Promote Justice-Oriented Citizenship |
| title_full | Exploring Social Justice Education as a Responsive Middle Grades Pedagogy to Promote Justice-Oriented Citizenship |
| title_fullStr | Exploring Social Justice Education as a Responsive Middle Grades Pedagogy to Promote Justice-Oriented Citizenship |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring Social Justice Education as a Responsive Middle Grades Pedagogy to Promote Justice-Oriented Citizenship |
| title_short | Exploring Social Justice Education as a Responsive Middle Grades Pedagogy to Promote Justice-Oriented Citizenship |
| title_sort | exploring social justice education as a responsive middle grades pedagogy to promote justice oriented citizenship |
| topic | social justice education middle grades responsiveness citizenship civic education social action |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/13/9/852 |
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