Researching teacher practice: Social justice dispositions revealed in activity

Abstract

This chapter reports on a recent project researching the practice of teachers, particularly the pedagogies they employ within advantaged and disadvantaged Australian secondary schools. We were interested in the extent to which their practice (or activity) might be considered socially just and, more specifically, what informed it. Given the research literature often observes a disconnect between what teachers believe (e.g. about social justice issues) and what they do (which can appear contradictory to their beliefs), our intention was to identify rhythms and patterns within data that suggest a disposition to practice in certain ways. Contributing to our understanding, we enlisted the teacher..