Abstract:

Education for social justice (ESJ) is an aspiration expressed by many higher education institutions, though frequently without much definition. This comparative study seeks to uncover a deeper understanding of what is meant by “education for social justice” (ESJ) from the perspective of university teachers. The research methodology has involved a thematic analysis of data from in-depth interviews with some 50 academics (voluntary participants) in different disciplines and institutions in the UK, Czech Republic and other EU countries. These interviews explored lecturers’ conceptions of ESJ, how they bring it into their teaching practice, its impact on students, and the challenges and enabling factors that influence ESJ. This paper presents, in particular, the main findings regarding staff conceptions of ESJ, which is construed by academics as the provision of equitable and consciousness-raising education opportunities that run across the whole higher education (HE) student journey - from enabling widening access to HE to course activities aimed at stimulating critical learning, awareness and a sense of social responsibility that can empower university graduates to transform their own lives, their communities and their societies. Overall, the study highlights the strong, values-based commitment of HE teachers to facilitating student learning engagement, wellbeing and development towards building a better world.

Keywords:

social justice, higher education, equity, teaching, transformative learning.