Much research has been done on novice teachers’ dispositions and how their beliefs contribute to the enactment of equitable or inequitable teaching practices. Ways that deficit-based beliefs and inequitable pedagogical choices have negatively impacted students of color and low-income students have also been well documented. However, there is a dearth of literature that explores the connection between dispositions and experienced teachers’ social justice practices that lead to equitable social and academic outcomes for elementary students. The purpose of this multiple case study is to understand and examine the perceptions, enactment, and challenges of four experienced and effective elementary teachers who are committed to teaching for social justice (TFSJ) in standards-based environments. The study’s findings will inform practitioners’ and scholars’ understanding of the social justice dispositions of effective teachers and their socially just practices in elementary classrooms.
","abstract_html":"<p>Much research has been done on novice teachers’ dispositions and how their beliefs contribute to the enactment of equitable or inequitable teaching practices. Ways that deficit-based beliefs and inequitable pedagogical choices have negatively impacted students of color and low-income students have also been well documented. However, there is a dearth of literature that explores the connection between dispositions and experienced teachers’ social justice practices that lead to equitable social and academic outcomes for elementary students. The purpose of this multiple case study is to understand and examine the perceptions, enactment, and challenges of four experienced and effective elementary teachers who are committed to teaching for social justice (TFSJ) in standards-based environments. The study’s findings will inform practitioners’ and scholars’ understanding of the social justice dispositions of effective teachers and their socially just practices in elementary classrooms.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Mestas, Brianna"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Ph.D.","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Maria del Carmen Salazar","Nicholas J. Cutforth","Kimberly Schmidt","Tom Romero"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2022,"date_issued":"2022-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2022-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:02:11Z","subjects":["Critical dispositions","Curriculum and instruction","Experienced educators","Social justice pedagogy","Teaching for social justice","Curriculum and Social Inquiry","Education","Elementary Education","Social Justice"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
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"],"dc:subject":["Critical dispositions","Curriculum and instruction","Experienced educators","Social justice pedagogy","Teaching for social justice","Curriculum and Social Inquiry","Education","Elementary Education","Social Justice"],"dc:title":["Planting Seeds of Change: Teaching for Social Justice in Elementary Classrooms"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Ph.D."]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:02:11Z"}