Grappling with social justice: Exploring new teachers' practice and experiences

This qualitative study examines the narratives of 27 new teachers as they grapple with social justice in the context of their classrooms. Informed by pedagogical perspectives regarding social justice education and new teacher mentorship, this research is framed by theories of communities of practice and professional knowledge landscapes. At the time of fieldwork, the participants had all graduated from a teacher education program focused on issues of social justice and were in their first, second or third year of teaching. Analysis of the participants' narratives, gathered in semi-structured interviews indicates that the realities of teaching assignments, curriculum constraints and professional support either encourage or discourage new teachers from incorporating social justice into their practice. Thus, the extent to which new teachers are able to incorporate social justice into their practice can be related to the material and social conditions in which they are situated.