The prevalent model of learning in U.S. schools, which is focused on the accumulation of a set of facts and skills, ignores the many assets that multilingual students bring with them to the learning table. These assets include a rich array of languages, cultural backgrounds, knowledge, talents, interests, and stories. The accumulation-based approach tends to overload multilingual students with linguistically complex tasks in English, disconnected information to memorize, and un-engaging content. As a result, many multilingual students lack feelings of agency, belonging in school, respect, and freedom to voice their thoughts and opinions.

The term “pedagogical justice” focuses on changing classroom instruction and assessment  in order to best serve multilingual students and prepare them for meaningful and successful lives. Pedagogical justice does not mean raising students’ test scores. It means using our energies, resources, and time to their fullest in pursuit of helping all students reach their many potentials. These potentials tend to fall under the categories of content knowledge, language, literacy, collaboration, social skills, emotional maturity, initiative, civic engagement, service, art, music, drama, problem-solving, and creativity, to name a few.

Thte visual below shows six high-leverage and high-need dimensions that support pedagogical justice. There still can be pedagogical justice with weak or missing dimensions, but it thrives when all are strong.









Pedagogical Injustices
A context that has weak or missing pillars of pedagogical justice tends to allow pedagogical injustices to thrive. These include: placement in a range of remedial classes and tracks; lack of a sense of belonging; lack of motivation; limited mindsets about learning; and the separation of students from their identities, backgrounds, languages, hopes, and potentials.

RESOURCES


Zwiers, J. (2019). Next Steps with Academic Conversations: New Ideas for Improving Learning through Classroom Talk. Stenhouse 

Pedagogical Justice