Studying at York
Social Justice & Education - EDU00069M
Module summary
This module is designed to introduce students to key aspects and perspectives about social justice and education. This involves exploring general philosophical perspectives about the nature of education and social justice (exploring the purposes of education in relation to such theoretical perspectives as human capital theory, liberation theory etc.); overarching conceptual considerations to do with social justice in educational contexts (e.g. achieved by exploring educational issues through the lens of inclusion, equality, diversity); the contributions made to debates about social justice in education by empirical researchers; achievement and attainment in a variety of contexts (reflections of who gets what from education); the issues associated with the pedagogical approaches proposed by advocates of social justice in education.
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Semester 1 2024-25 |
Module aims
This module is designed to introduce students to key aspects and perspectives about social justice and education. This involves exploring general philosophical perspectives about the nature of education and social justice (exploring the purposes of education in relation to such theoretical perspectives as human capital theory, liberation theory etc.); overarching conceptual considerations to do with social justice in educational contexts (e.g. achieved by exploring educational issues through the lens of inclusion, equality, diversity); the contributions made to debates about social justice in education by empirical researchers; achievement and attainment in a variety of contexts (reflections of who gets what from education); the issues associated with the pedagogical approaches proposed by advocates of social justice in education.
Module learning outcomes
Subject Content
Students will understand areas of and perspectives about social justice in education. This will involve philosophical, policy-related, curricular and pedagogical issues as well as considering the nature and findings associated with relevant empirical research.
Academic and Graduate Skills
- Ability to understand key ideas;
- Ability to analyse and evaluate key ideas and issues emerging from debates about philosophical, policy, research and professional initiatives.
- Ability to demonstrate competence associated with these understandings and skills orally and in writing.
Module content
Module content
Course Structure:
• An introduction to key ideas
• Key theoretical perspectives: social justice, pedagogy for liberation and transformative
learning
• Social justice and empirical education research
• Key theoretical perspectives: social justice, economics and human capital theory
• Social justice and patterns of educational achievement and attainment
• Activism: Global and local youth perspectives
• Key concepts: social justice, inclusion, diversity and equality
• Teaching, learning, assessing (in the classroom) and activism
• New approaches to teaching and learning for social justice
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Special assessment rules
None
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Module feedback
Students will receive written feedback on their summative assessments. The feedback is returned to students in line with university policy. Please check the Guide to Assessment, Standards, Marking and Feedback for more information.
Indicative reading
Bhopal, K. and Maylor, U. (2013). Educational Inequalities in Schools and Higher Education
Davies, I and Sant, E. (2014). Perceptions of students and teachers in England about how social media are used (and how they could be used) in schools and elsewhere. In, B. Loader, A. Vromen and M. Xenos (eds.) The Networked Young Citizen. Abingdon, Routledge.
Demie, F. (2022). Tackling teachers’ low expectations of Black Caribbean students in English schools. Equity in Education & Society, 1(1), 32-49.
Gewirtz, S. (1998). Conceptualizing social justice in education: mapping the territory. Journal of Education Policy, 13(4), 469-484.
Jayadeva, S., Brooks, R., & Abrahams, J. (2022). The (stereo) typical student: how European higher education students feel they are viewed by relevant others. British Journal of sociology of Education, 43(1), 1-21.
Ladson-Billings, G. (2006). From the achievement gap to the education debt: Understanding achievement in US schools. Educational researcher, 35(7), 3-12.
Purnell, D. (2021). Becoming Abolitionists: Police, Protests, and the Pursuit of Freedom. Astra Publishing House.
Raby, R. (2012) Children’s participation as neo-liberal governance? Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 35(1), 77–89.
Smith, E (2012) Key Issues in Education and Social Justice. London: SAGE.
Tikly, L. and Barrett, A.M., 2011. Social justice, capabilities and the quality of education in low income countries. International journal of educational development, 31(1), pp.3-14.