Critical Self-Study of Teacher Education Practices: Committing to Social Justice and Professional Improvement

This book builds upon the self-study of teacher education practices (S-STEP) literature, research in teacher education, and perspectives on criticality and social justice. It explores critical self-study of teacher education practices as the systematic investigation of professional practice for self-improvement and the advancement of social justice by resisting inequitable systems, practices, and deficit-based ideologies. The volume provides readers with a conceptual and practical guide on the research of practice as connected with, and part of, social justice movements and equity efforts. Its major contribution is the articulation of 3 guiding commitments, or principles, that undergird critical self-study research: The first is engaging with critical consciousness; followed by enabling equity through methodology; and the final one is enacting advocacy. The text attends to ways researchers can employ critical self-study to conceptualize, investigate, and report their practices and situate issues of power, privilege, and oppression. A distinct feature of the book is the articulation of equity-based considerations for the development, deployment, and dissemination of a critical self-study. Guiding prompts, exercises, and suggested readings are provided to support readers of the volume in designing their own critical self-studies.

Self-study researchers, critical pedagogues and researchers, and scholar-practitioners will benefit from the unification of critical inquiry and criticality with self-study research. This volume invites self-study researchers to engage in critical explorations, and critical researchers to engage with self-study methods.