Exploring the Experiences of Social Justice-Oriented Teachers in South Korea: A Comparative Analysis of Elementary and Secondary Teachers

Abstract

Abstract Justice, equity, and diversity are more critical than ever in the global agenda in education. In the context of South Korea, this study aims to understand teachers’ practice of teaching for social justice, with a focus on how they respond to tensions and dilemmas encountered in different contexts of student development, student demographics, and school types. The process of data collection and analysis was guided by a narrative inquiry. Findings of this study demonstrate contextual constraints that the teachers face in their day-to-day practice of social justice teaching and instructional strategies that they crafted to deal with context-specific tensions and dilemmas. The discussion highlights politics of negotiation that has emerged from the teachers’ experiences of creating tactics for implementing social justice education in the given context.