Navigating Challenges and Tensions in Social Justice–Oriented Teacher Education: A Review of the Literature

Abstract

Based on an analysis of 60 empirical articles, this review examines the experiences of student teachers and teacher educators engaged in social justice–oriented teacher education practices. We explore how student teachers respond to these practices, highlighting the development of their understanding alongside their embodied and emotional experiences. Findings illustrate that new understandings of structural inequity can evoke strong emotional responses and clash with existing beliefs. From these responses, several challenges and tensions arise for teacher educators: (1) navigating tensions between reproducing and transforming inequity in interactions; (2) decentering whiteness in predominantly white contexts; (3) addressing the vulnerability inherent in social justice education; and (4) challenges in putting social justice education into practice. These tensions underscore the complexity of social justice teacher education and highlight the delicate balance and judgment required of teacher educators in navigating discussions of inequity in the classroom.