The power of democracy is its adaptability to a changing world. We can envision and work toward a society that is more just than the present. History education is more relevant now than ever. We offer ideas and strategies that can transform the history classroom into a space for understanding the past with the explicit purpose of learning from the…

This study sought to revisit established definitions of critical visual literacy and determine how this concept could be re-envisioned specifically for picture books when informed by the approaches of teacher education students who had received limited prior formal instruction on critiquing visual texts. Seventeen sophomore elementary education…

Systemic institutional racism in schools engenders different and difficult educational experiences for students of Color. Relatedly, there is an enduring divide between home and school that often influences school curricula, teachers' pedagogies, and students' educational progress. Considering this preclusion to learning, this case study gleans…

This qualitative study examines how elementary students of Color develop and enact an abolitionist praxis as part of a "Freedom Dreaming" literacy unit. The analysis of focus-group interviews elucidates how, after learning about freedom dreaming and the abolition of prisons and police, students positioned historical anti-carceral…

As Philadelphia has a rich history in the fight for LGBTQ+ justice, this article centers on two examples of LGBTQ+ activism that were based in the city: Dewey's Lunch Counter Sit-In and Reminder Day. Predating the Stonewall Uprising in New York City, which is marked as the start of the contemporary LGBTQ+ Pride movement, the Dewey's Lunch Counter…

Following a randomized controlled trial that showed effectiveness of an equity-centered positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) professional development intervention on student discipline in elementary schools, we studied the extent to which the intervention had differential effects on individual teachers' use of exclusionary…

Purpose: This study explores how school principals can effectively integrate instructional leadership with social justice leadership, recognizing their dual roles in promoting academic excellence and fostering a socially just school environment. Research Methods: Participants in this qualitative study were 32 principals from elementary schools in…

Encouraging children to become 'good citizens' who positively contribute towards society through charitable and philanthropic action as part of their civic participation has become a core focus of policy and practice. Yet the opportunities afforded to children for active civic learning within primary education remain under-researched. This article…

Globally, young people are asking questions about social responsibility. California addresses this in the second draft of its updated mathematics framework, still unreleased as this article goes to press. It defines these questions as authentic, suggesting that classrooms "include, at times . . . contexts students can engage with as a way to…

School bullying is a pervasive global issue with profound implications for students' well-being and academic performance. While extensive research has examined the role of bystanders--individuals who witness bullying--in mitigating such behavior, the specific influence of classroom climate on the emergence of positive bystander behavior,…

Restorative practices provide alternatives to punitive practices, such as exclusionary discipline and zero tolerance policies. Restorative practices are important for elementary school counselors because they help repair the harm students do to one another while building positive relationships between and among students. A lack of understanding…

This dissertation delves into the dynamic interaction between picturebooks, culture circles, and social justice discussions in a second-grade classroom. Rooted in Critical Pedagogy, Transactional Theory, and Indigenous Social Justice Pedagogy, this study investigates two pivotal aspects. Firstly, it explores the issues raised by students in…

The notion of inert benevolence has been written about in the context of primary school teachers working with "languages beyond English" (Cunningham and Little, 2022). However, the concept has a broader relevance for those working in education and this paper seeks to explore it more fully, through the use of the metaphor of a…

The current sociopolitical context of the United States has created a divide among the nation which has transpired into Kindergarten-12th grade public school settings. Throughout the United States school boards of education have banned books and Critical Race Theory while attacking social justice teaching pedagogies. Presently, there is growing…

This paper contributes to accumulating the knowledge base about prospective elementary school teachers' (PTs') understanding of socio-critical modeling by exploring how PTs make connections to features of mathematical modeling and social justice while posing mathematical problems and reflecting on their problem-posing. We present a conceptual…