With the assumptions that we are all for social justice and that early childhood teacher education programmes need to take a stand on social justice and provide prospective teachers with the practical tools to work with children in early childhood settings, the author of this thesis conducted an instrumental case study aimed to illuminate a process of critical thinking towards conceptualising professional knowledge in teaching for social justice in pre-service early childhood teacher education in Colombia. The purpose of the research was to bring insights into how teacher educators’ views and understandings of social justice influence their pedagogical and practical knowledge with regard to preparing prospective teachers to work with children in Colombian early childhood settings. The inquiry was developed in three stages (an internet-based survey, focus groups and written accounts) and thirty teacher educators working in a university based pre-service early childhood teacher education programme, participated in the study. The findings showed that teacher educators’ views and understandings of social justice in early childhood teacher education were associated with global discourses of inclusion, child rights, equity and equal opportunities for All. These understandings were identified in explicit actions regarding equality, diversity and respect in early childhood education. The findings also showed that other views of social justice appeared to be embedded in local and particular understandings of equity and equality that revealed a dual perception of social justice manifested through implicit and silenced actions with regard to preparing prospective early childhood educators. These particular views which exposed intentions and sensitivity towards teaching for social justice revealed generative forces and synergies in the early childhood teacher education programme. Implications of this study suggest the influence of teacher educators’ views and understanding of social justice in their political, pedagogical and practical professional knowledge with regard to preparing early childhood educators to live on co-existence as ‘vivencialistas’ committed to be citizens in social justice working with children in early childhood settings.
|Qualification||Doctor of Philosophy|
|Award date||15 Nov 2017|
|Publication status||Unpublished - 15 Nov 2017|