Social Justice Education for English Language Teachers

Program Introduction
The concept of "social justice" has become critical in education around the world (Cho, 2018), as it is an empowering and dynamic activity driven by students who become co- constructors of knowledge (Freire, 1970). As Grant and Agosto (2008) sees it, SJ is a continually restructured concept according to different contexts since society constantly changes. To put it simply, social justice seeks to create "a world with an emphasis on equity, dignity, and human rights" (Rose & Paisley, 2012, p. 139). Hence, social justice education (SJE) has been crucial in social studies, intercultural education, and teacher education, particularly in the Western world (Cho, 2018). While investigating how social justice education, which is much needed due to the differences we frequently experience in our environment today and is being added to curricula around the world day by day, is perceived by high school English teachers, whether the in-service training they will receive will create a change in their perceptions, and to what extent they will integrate the education they receive into the lessons they teach in their classes as a hidden curriculum. It aims to raise awareness and offer a new in-service training program in the field of education.

Training Duration:
This training consists of 6 sessions in total and will be completed in 6 weeks. The sessions will start at 18.00 and finish at 19.30 with 15 minutes of break.

Training Delivery:
The sessions will be conducted online.

Assignment Procedure:
During the training, theoretical information will be provided in the first part of the sessions, while purposeful exercises will be conducted in the second part to put learned theoretical knowledge into practice. These exercises done in the sessions in certain weeks will be completed by the participants individually, in pairs or in groups.

Course Content and Flow:
The teachers participating in this training will have the opportunity to work collaboratively,
brainstorm and develop critical thinking skills that they can integrate into their day-to-day
teaching.

Social Justice Workshops for English Language Teachers
Week 1: Introduction to Social Justice Education: Defining Social Justice
Week 2: Equity in Education: Addressing equity issues in their curriculum
Week 3: Intersectionality and Identity: Identity Exploration through Social Justice
Week 4: Social Justice Through Literature: Literature Analysis through Social Justice and Discussion
Week 5: Activism and Art: Film Analysis through Social Justice and Discussion
Week 6: Curriculum Integration and Action Plans: Curriculum Mapping and Action Plans on designing a unit through Social Justice

Who should enroll to this training;
High school English teachers who want to improve their understanding of a socially just world and pedagogies in the rapidly changing and developing world of education and gain both theoretical and practical experience in this direction should enroll to this training. In addition, English teachers who want celebrate the diversity in their classrooms and environment by developing their own activities and materials should take part in this training.

Materials and tools to be used in the training:
All the tools and materials to be used in our training will be completely digital and will not require any fee.

Training Procedure:
Prior to the training, teachers will be surveyed in order to determine their current understanding of social justice. In accordance, the program guideline will be slightly adjusted. After the training is completed, the survey applied at the beginning will be re-applied to determine the change in their understanding of social justice if there is any.

Language of Instruction: English
Advisor: Prof. Dr. Derin ATAY / Bahçeşehir University English Language Teaching Dept.
Trainer: Lect. Tuğçe KILIÇ / Istanbul University – Cerrahpaşa School of Foreign Languages