Through collaboration and development of the board game “Misconceptions on Aboriginal

Truth and Myth” it has been developed in accordance which integrates social justice issues

which are relevant towards the KLA history. The game has allowed the interventions of

questions that lead to discussions that relate to social justice issues, as it has integrated

interrelations between the social justice issues, culture, community, history, language and

education. This essay will discuss the importance of implementing social justice perspectives

in my teaching practice. It will also present the pedagogical theories that influence and

enhance learning and teaching, which leads to a successful learning experience for the

students. Finally, it will demonstrate how my teaching practice will address issues of equity

and diversity.

The importance of implementing social justice perspectives in my teaching practice is the

diverse environment in which is present in our society. It is evident that through research, the

implementation of integrated social justice approach within educational settings lead to

teaching and learning an understanding of diverse differences. McDonald (2005) suggests

that “concepts from sociocultural theory aid an in-depth understanding” (p. 433), and a

connectedness in the appropriate direction for future teachers and education. Now that I have

experienced the unit Diversity, Social Justice and Learning it is brought to my attention the

importance of being aware as a teacher in the classroom the need of reflexivity (Lampert,

Burnett, Morse, p. 77) in my preparation as a teacher. With continuous reflection and having

social justice perspectives in my teaching practice, is important as a tool in understanding

social phenomena’s. Critical teaching and critical pedagogy in the classroom will allow

myself in creating a feeling for my students to feel as they have some form of power through

their dialogical ways, as they will be able to democratise social relations within the

classroom. (Smyth, 2011, p. 50). Being able to integrate concepts that have been taught

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throughout the unit will aid me in my teaching pedagogy as it will prepare me and my

students to generate solutions to real-world issues (Ullman, Diaz, Ferfolja, 2015, p. 221).

What I have experienced in this unit allows me to justify that I was exposed to information

and ideas that I resisted, however, this assisted me as it expanded outside my comfort zone. I

felt a sense of transformation of the way I thought and analysed issues regarding social

justice. The experience that happened through rational discourse, theoretical context, and

interactive tutorials, I felt that this promoted an awareness through my critical reflection, as a

student and a teacher in the future. Brown (2004) also suggests that in order to implement

social justice perspectives in teaching pedagogy, a continuous cycle of thinking, reflecting,

assessing, deciding and possibly changing, (p. 78) is how teachers grow (Ullman, Diaz,

Ferfolja, 2015, p. 218). In my perspective critical self-reflection is so important “for teachers

to interrogate their attitudes prior to entering the classroom and to continue to engage in

ongoing dialogue once they are teaching” (Lampert, Burnett, Morse, p. 77). This will also

assist in the growing process.

Pedagogical theories such as privilege theory and critical ‘race’ theory will influence and

enhance me as a teacher and will also assist in the student’s learning experience throughout

their school years. Making critical connections between theory and practice facilitates my

practice, to enable “equitable, sensitive and responsive pedagogies. Embracing differences

and challenging the” inequalities arising out of unequal power relations in society and

represented in education” (Ferfolja, Diaz, Ullman, 2015, p.17). With having sociological

theories influence my teaching pedagogy it will only benefit me and my students. Through

understanding the differences within race, ethnicity, racism, and cultural diversity, leads for

me to articulate ways of teaching with CRT as a tool in order to broaden the understanding

for the students. This approach will enable the students to explore the world and appreciate

and understand different views which we experience. This will be done through “learning

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how to identify and interrogate implicit assumptions underlying teacher education curricula,

research, scholarship, and pedagogy as cultural, racial, and social text” (Gay, 2010, p. 147).

Understanding the cultural representations of the relationships between knowledge and power

is important to relate to the student’s cultural representation. It is paramount to be able as a

teacher to reflect upon the students in relation to their cultural awareness and not our own.

(Truong, p. 27). Incorporating theoretical perspectives in a reflexive and reflective practice is

essential for “true critical pedagogical practice” (Ullman, Diaz, Ferfolja, 2015, p. 218). It is

of high importance for me as a pre-service teacher to continually keep up to date with

literature in relation to social justice issues as this will remind me of the “unseen” (Ferfolja,

Diaz, Ullman, 2015, p.2).

In exploration of diversity, social justice and learning I have come to an understanding of the

importance in creating a classroom which addresses issues of equity and diversity. This has

allowed me to be able to reflect on socially and cultural complexities that may occur within

the classroom and has enable me to be prepared psychologically for the diversity that exists

within the school community. With critical theories having influenced my teaching practice I

believe that the setting in my classroom will feel the sense of equity. As the sociological

theories have created for me an understanding of the diversities that relate to “race, ethnicity,

Indigenous understandings, culture, language, socio-economic status, (dis)ability, sexuality

and gender” (Ullman, Diaz, Ferfolja, 2015, p. 215), illuminating the marginalisation’s of the

dominant discourses that are created and used as a subjectivity in relation to create the

“other”. CRT will assist in defeating this otherness, and creating equity within the classroom.

Overall, through the unit Diversity, Social Justice and Learning, the sociological theories that

I have learnt will benefit me in my teaching practice, as it will allow me to think critically in

order to achieve equity within a diverse setting. Thorough the lenses of CRT, it is possible to

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create an understanding and awareness in relation to social justice issues that occur in our

daily lives. This will create a calm approach within the classroom, also prepare students to

know how to reflect upon their learning in the future.

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 Reference List

Brown, K. (2004). Leadership for Social Justice and Equity: Weaving a Transformative

Framework and Pedagogy. Educational Administration Quarterly, 40(1), 77-108

McDonald, Morva A. (2005). The integration of social justice in teacher education:

Dimensions of prospective teachers' opportunities to learn. (training teachers in training

ethnically diverse classrooms). Journal of Teacher Education, 56(5), 418-435.

Ferfolja, T.; Jones Diaz, C. & Ullman, J. (2015). Understanding Sociological Theory for

Educational Practices. Australia: Cambridge University Press.

Gay, G. (2010). Acting on Beliefs in Teacher Education for Cultural Diversity. Journal of

Teacher Education, 61(1-2), 143-152.

Lampert, J., Burnett, B., & Morse, K. (2015). Destabilising privilege. In Editors Ferfolja, T.;

Jones Diaz, C. & Ullman, J. Understanding Sociological Theory for Educational

Practices (pp. 76 - 92). Australia: Cambridge University Press.

Melnick, S., & Zeichner, K. (1998). Teacher Education's Responsibility to Address Diversity

Issues: Enhancing Institutional Capacity. Theory Into Practice, 37(2), 88-95.

Nieto, Sonia (2000). Placing Equity Front and Centre: Some thoughts on transforming

teacher education for a new century. Journal of Teacher Education, Vol. 51(3), 180-

187.

Parker, L., & Lynn, M. (2002). What’s Race Got to Do With It? Critical Race Theory’s

Conflicts With and Connections to Qualitative Research Methodology and

Epistemology. Qualitative Inquiry, 8(1), 7-22.

Smyth, J. (2011). Critical pedagogy for social justice (Critical pedagogy today series ; 02).

New York: Continuum.

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Truong, S. (2015). Pre-service teacher identities and the social construction of childhood. In

Editors Ferfolja, T.; Jones Diaz, C. & Ullman, J. Understanding Sociological Theory

for Educational Practices (pp. 22- 38)