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…

Issues of social injustice are pervasive in school systems around the world (Welton et al., 2019) with ingrained institutional barriers that hinder students from reaching future successes. As a result, the purpose of this study was to understand the focuses, mindsets, and actions of leaders for social justice working to redress issues of inequity…

The problem addressed in this study was that there was the likelihood of a mismatch between preprimary teachers' racial, ethnic, and cultural make-up and the children and families they educate and care for in the preprimary classroom from birth to 5 years. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to examine early childhood education (ECE)…

Early childhood educators play a significant role in attending to the whole child by nurturing, caring, educating, and molding the young minds in their care. To be effective educators, early childhood educators must be well-rounded with the knowledge to attend to the children with utmost care and consideration. Early childhood teachers must be…

With a change in access to information and a rising social and political consciousness for young people, elementary schools must start to think more about their role in shaping kids' understanding of social issues. While researchers certainly have not agreed upon a single definition of social justice education, Bell (2016) defines its aim as…

Many Early Childhood Education teachers are interested in implementing Anti-Bias Education tools and strategies into their classrooms however they report feel ill-equipped to do so. This study sought to explore early years educators' understanding of Anti-Bias Education and find ways to implement bias reducing practices into early learning…

Today's teachers must navigate a complex system of policy and curriculum, while striving to accommodate increasingly diverse student demographics and complicated social landscapes. In recognition of the modern-day K-2 classroom, this research reviewed and analyzed educational policy language to identify and examine social justice concepts related…

Children begin forming ideas about race and difference at a very young age. In their review of field literature, Gaias et al. (2021) shared that "children's racial prejudice and awareness of racial categories has been found to emerge around age 3" (p. 273). ECE is an important time to address topics of difference and bias with young…

Until recently, many early childhood educators, particularly those in nontraditional preschool spaces, leaned on a color-evasive approach to their work, largely ignoring systemic racism and bias, claiming love and acceptance of all children in their care. While well-intentioned, these practices left young children to construct their own…

School counselors who engage in advocacy work may experience barriers when attempting to challenge oppression; hence, they need specific skills to advocate efficiently and effectively. Despite the trend in conceptual articles surrounding school counselor advocacy, little is known about how school counselors' multicultural self-efficacy predicts…

The achievement gap is a historic and pervasive issue of social justice in education. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has further stalled student achievement in reading and math, amplifying the urgency for accelerating student learning to close the gap. The third grade is a critical year for literacy in education; if students have not mastered…

Culturally relevant pedagogy includes three tenets: academic success, cultural competence, and sociopolitical consciousness (Ladson-Billings, 1995). Despite personal interests in social justice, many teachers that pursue aspects of culturally relevant pedagogy fail to challenge students to recognize, critique, and act against societal inequities;…

In this study, the researcher uses quantitative methods to examine the extent to which Title I funding helps public schools with large populations of economically-disadvantaged students increase student academic achievement in reading and math in grades 3-5, and whether the leaders of these schools utilize specific social justice actions…

This dissertation examines the meaning-making of children (ages 2-5) as they read and play with picture books related to social justice themes, such as identity and diversity, in a preschool and childcare center. The study goal is to investigate the analysis of children's meaning-making of picture books to understand the social world around them…

This ethnographically-oriented, multi-year study examined an epistolary writing relationship between third grade students and the teacher's uncle, known to them as Uncle Billy, who, at the time of the study, was corresponding from prison. Taking place within a Reformed Christian school, this study encapsulates the pedagogy of Ms. Thompson, the…