Inequalities, injustice and oppression are inhuman characteristics of our
human world. Unequal power relations exist and persist between
different regions of the world, and between different groups in society. The latest
economic crisis has worsened the situation, and has particularly affected the
most vulnerable members of society. Austerity politics have deteriorated the
life conditions of millions, and aggravated inequalities. Education is not
immune from these tendencies. Unequal power relations exist between
participants in the educational process, and the education sector has suffered the consequences of the crisis:
lower salaries, cut expenses, less resources for educational projects in a lot
of countries. Education should contribute to the transformation of
society by countering inequalities and by enabling the construction of
more democratic and just societies. Educational practice and research cannot be
neutral, but should be based on a vision of social justice. Despite
the different interpretations of social justice, there is a shared hope among
committed practitioners and researchers that by combating injustice in its
different forms education can foster equality, equity and democracy in smaller and larger social
contexts. Teacher education, considered by ATEE as the lifelong
process of teachers’ development has a crucial role in this
process of change. Power relations between the different stakeholders and
actors must be highlighted in teacher education, and teachers must be prepared
to answer the challenges of unjust contexts and to
contribute to the transformational processes.
Unequal power relations are inherently connected to differences,
and are based on membership of social groups such as social class, gender,
perceived ethnicity, and so on. These differences are intersectionally connected
to each other. In recent decades, difference has become increasingly recognized
in education (cultural, social, racial, ethnic, gender, sexual orientation,
language, ability and so on), and diversity has become an
important concept in education, However cross-cultural misunderstandings,
prejudices and processes of ‘othering’, bullying and exclusion are
still present in schools and education systems. Teachers and
therefore teacher education have a strong responsibility to acknowledge,
challenge and overcome these negative tendencies.
Goals of the
RDC
The goal of
our RDC is to foster professional debate and discussion among researchers and
other stakeholders especially around the following questions:
- How are social inequalities reflected, present and represented in teacher education, teachers’ work and professional development?
- What are the interpretations of diversity present in teacher education, and how do they influence teachers’ view and work?
- What is the role of teacher diversity in the educational process?
- How can teacher education and teachers’ work contribute to the transformation of unequal and unjust school and social contexts?
- What are the tendencies in Europe and worldwide of teacher education and professional development policies, and how can they be analysed and evaluated from the perspective of social justice and diversity?
- What are teachers’ views on social justice and diversity and what is the impact of these views on students’ life and performance?
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