Harmonizing Practice-Based and Social Justice Approaches to Teacher Education: Toward a Framework of SJ-PBTE

The relationship between practice-based teacher education (PBTE) and teacher education oriented toward social justice (SJTE) has been debated by teacher educators and researchers for some time, and still today the contention persists. Many teacher educators have a goal of supporting preservice teachers (PSTs) enact instructional practices that are high-leverage and equity-oriented; however, as practice-based approaches have been adopted, some have questioned the compatibihty between PBTE and SJTE. While some scholars believe PBTE and SJTE are inherently dichotomous, others have used them in tandem. This paper argues tensions between PBTE and SJTE have roots in reductive dichotomies of theory and practice and in differing conceptualizations. The paper presents a conceptual framework that builds on social foundations for supporting PSTs in developing a critical lens to apply in their enactment of justice-oriented, practice-based approaches, bridging the gap between equity in theory and practice. Key words: teacher education, instructional practices, equity, social justice, practice-based teacher education, social justice teacher education Introduction
Teaching oriented toward social justice can create more humanizing experiences and increased opportunities to learn for students in school. Understanding how to prepare preservice teachers (PSTs) for this in the [...]