Where Is the Line? Narratives of Justice and Equity-Oriented Pedagogies in a Conflicted Sociopolitical Climate

Abstract

This study presents findings from a narrative inquiry into the experiences of secondary English language arts (ELA) educators in Georgia who aim to teach through critical and culturally affirming pedagogies. It uses a complexity theory framework to consider how these teachers have responded to the current sociopolitical context in the state, which passed legislation banning the discussion of so-called divisive concepts and facilitating the process for reviewing and making complaints about curricular materials. The aim of this study was to better understand how teachers are affectively experiencing this climate. Findings demonstrate that teachers experienced few instances of pushback on their teaching, but that they nonetheless felt the sociopolitical context was something that loomed over their work. They expressed feelings of anxiety and worry about potential pushback, even in contexts where they had significant networks of support among their colleagues and administrators. Narratives in this study establish that not only was the sociopolitical context influencing teachers’ pedagogies, but that teachers’ affective responses to the context were influencing it in turn, as their decisions to intentionally avoid conflict became ways that the educational legislation in Georgia was being implemented in schools.