Research and Knowledge

Annotated Bibliography

Agarwal-Rangnath, R. (2021). Teaching for Social Justice in Early Childhood Classrooms: Developing Humanizing and Critical Spaces for Young Children. Multicultural Perspectives (Mahwah, N.J.), 23(4), 197–205. https://doi.org/10.1080/15210960.2021.1979406

This study was guided by two main questions: “1) How do early childhood teachers conceptualize teaching for social justice? and 2) What does social justice look like in early childhood classrooms?” (pp. 197-198). They discovered that a significant theme that emerged was the connection of social justice to critical literacy (p. 202), noting that early childhood teachers can, and do, “facilitate lessons, activities, and discussions that encourage students to think critically about the world around them” (p. 203) and to learn to recognize and speak out against injustices.

Boer, T. (2024, February). Keynote – Meaningful Indigenous Learning in the Classroom. Professional Development Day. Kelowna; Kelowna Christian School.

This presentation focused on the importance of story in Indigenous cultures and on hands-on learning as a mode of instruction and meaning-making. The keynote presentation was geared towards Preschool-Grade 12 teachers at independent Christian schools, and the breakout session looked at incorporating Indigenous knowledge and learning activities in the classroom. From the biography shared with school staff:
Toni is Cree/Metis from the Beaver Lake Nation in Alberta. She worked as an Indigenous Education worker in the Prince George’s school district for 15 years. After returning to school when she was 36 and earning her Bachelor’s in both Indigenous Studies and Education. Toni has been teaching at Westside Academy for the past five years, where she walks alongside fellow staff to grow in their understanding of reconciliation and the importance of implementing meaningful Indigenous practices in the classrooms.

British Columbia Ministry of Education. (n.d.). Curriculum. Building Student Success – B.C.’s Curriculum. Retrieved January 30, 2024, from https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum

Lessons and activities for those students in Kindergarten-Grade 2 will be connected to the grade level curriculum in applicable subject areas, including English Language Arts, Social Studies, Health, and Arts Education. Ties to the core competencies and core competency profiles will also be indicated in each activity, even those for preschoolers who are not yet doing self-assessments on these competencies. This should help to guide the kinds of conversations students are learning to have before they enter kindergarten, and also make it easier for teachers to draw from other grade levels as needed.

Centre for the Advancement of Christian Education. (n.d.). Teaching for transformation. Teaching for Transformation. https://www.teachingfortransformation.org/

Teaching for Transformation is a guiding framework for how schools and teachers can journey through curriculum and learning activities with Christian principles at the focus.

Dajani, M. ’Mohammed Y., & Meier, D. R. (2019). The role of narrative in culturally responsive literacy education – a collaborative project in U.S. and Palestinian preschools. International Journal of Early Years Education, 27(1), 68–81. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669760.2018.1458599

This research, based in preschool settings, looked at the role of narrative in culturally responsive literacy education in different environments, and at the way that young children respond to both culturally familiar and culturally unfamiliar narrative. Their findings included the premise that “literacy education based upon children’s home and community experiences and expectations promotes new forms of social solidarity and cohesion for children in early childhood educational settings…(it) provides a critical pedagogical pathway to deepen and broaden literacy education as a culturally affirming form of discourse and learning” (Dajani & Meier, 2019, p. 70).

First Nations Education Steering Committee. (2007). First Peoples Principles of Learning. http://www.fnesc.ca/first-peoples-principles-of-learning/

The First Peoples Principles of Learning (FPPL) are intended to be reflected in all units of student in British Columbia, and guide both content and ways of learning and being. These principles will be referenced and reflected in the SJE lessons.

Gardner, R. P., Osorio, S. L., Carrillo, S., & Gilmore, R. (2020). (Re)membering in the Pedagogical Work of Black and Brown Teachers: Reclaiming Stories as Culturally Sustaining Practice. Urban Education (Beverly Hills, Calif.), 55(6), 838–864. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085919892036

Gardner, Osorio, Carillo, and Gilmore (2020) explored the educational experiences of BIPOC teachers, and how their personal journeys have impacted their current practices. They discovered that “infusing culturally sustaining visual art practices provided healing contexts and expanded student voice” (p. 842), and provided a way to bring student’s stories “to life through recording, dictating, and writing them” (p. 847). This research and response gives an important look at the experiences of adults who did not experience equity and equality in their childhood school experiences, and shares specific examples of activities and strategies that they now use in their own classrooms.

Hawkins, K. (2014). Looking forward, looking back : Framing the future for teaching for social justice in early childhood education. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 39(3), 121–128. https://doi.org/10.1177/183693911403900315

This study set out to compare children’s responses to critical literature with their responses to non-critical texts. They discovered that “critical literature did encourage deeper, more reflective discussion within the preschool groups” (p. 124), but also discovered that young children could apply social justice discussions and learning to non-critical literature. Researchers share that “by actively and collectively shaping and reshaping these understandings through storytime sessions children became more sensitive to and aware of social justice issues” (p. 124).

Hyland, N. E. (2010). Social Justice in Early Childhood Classrooms What the Research Tells Us. YC Young Children, 65(1), 82–90.

This research review focuses on the importance of critical pedagogy in classrooms, “investigating critical understandings of power among all marginalized groups…race, class, gender, sexual orientation, and more” (p. 85). The author stresses the importance of teachers being able to “engage all children in the class in exploring issues of fairness and justice and thinking about their role in making a more just world for themselves and others” (p. 87).

Jeynes, W. H. (2019). A Meta-Analysis on the Relationship Between Character Education and Student Achievement and Behavioral Outcomes. Education and Urban Society, 51(1), 33–71. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013124517747681

In this research review, Jeynes looks at 52 studies considering the relationships between character education, student achievement, and behavioural outcomes (p. 33). The results of the study strongly indicate the importance of character education for both academic achievement and student behaviour, with an increased rate of “love, compassion, responsibility, honesty, and integrity” (p. 63) in schools where character education was taught.

Kim, S.J. (2016). Opening up Spaces for Early Critical Literacy: Korean kindergarteners exploring diversity through multicultural picture books. The Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 39(2), 176-187. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03651970

This study focuses on critical literacy for teaching about cultural and racial diversity in kindergarten classrooms, and on the types of discussion points and questions that made the reading experience more than simply the reading of a story, leading to deeper discussions and understandings.

Ladson-Billings, G. (2014). Culturally Relevant Pedagogy 2.0: a.k.a. the Remix. Harvard Educational Review, 84(1), 74-84.

This research and paper are valuable when considering how to “do” social justice education. Ladson-Billings is a leader in the promotion of culturally relevant/responsive pedagogy, and provides a good foundation for considering what types of resources and activities will work well for this project. Key definitions include the following:

Culturally Relevant/Responsive Pedagogy: “the ability to link principles of learning with deep understanding of (and appreciation for) culture” (Ladson-Billings, 2014, p. 77). It focuses on student learning and academic achievement over management, cultural competence over assimilation, and real-world relevance in learning (p. 76).

Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy builds on the foundation of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy. It sees “the experiences and prior knowledge of students from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds as resources rather than deficits” (Kidwell & Herrera, 2019, p. 60), while also seeking to intentionally create welcoming and safe environments for all students by disrupting unhealthy practices and ensuring that students “become subjects in the instructional process, not mere objects” (Ladson-Billings, 2014, p. 76).

Lee, S. Adair, J.K., Payne, K.A., & Barry, D. (2022). Revisioning Fairness as Social Justice in Early Childhood Education. Early Childhood Education Journal, 50(7), 1083-1095.

This study considers the ways that young children understand fairness/equity, and challenges the historical notion that young children really only see fairness as everyone having an equal share. The authors remind us that “young children are capable beings who deserve more of our attention, and when we listen to and observe them, their words and actions reveal their sophisticated knowledge and abilities” (p. 1086). Specific ways that they note that young children conceptualize fairness include equity as giving up resources, equity as prioritizing other’s needs, and equity as advocating for others (pp. 1088-1090).

McCarty, T., & Lee, T. (2014). Critical culturally sustaining/revitalizing pedagogy and Indigenous education sovereignty. Harvard Educational Review, 84(1), 101-124.

This particular article is more of a support for the project, rather than being directly connected to my capstone. This study considers the culturally sustaining pedagogy at Native American schools in the United States. A key focus of the pedagogy is the students’ “development as caring and empathetic human beings and on the quality of relationships they have with one another” (p. 109). I particularly appreciate the statement that the teacher “looks for his students to demonstrate respect, compassion, and helpful behavior with others” (p. 109) as one way to evaluate if the students are actually taking in and applying the lessons they are being taught.

Meacham, S. J., Meacham, S., Thompson, M., & Graves, H. (2019). Hip-Hop Early Literacy in K–1 Classrooms. The Reading Teacher, 73(1), 29–37. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1809

Meacham, Meacham, Thompson, and Graves (2019) used hip-hop to guide a literacy project for K-1 students, engaging students in a culturally responsive and sustaining activity. The students “heard music that reminded them of their home and community spaces…(experiencing) a moment of cultural recognition” (p. 31), which they were then able to use to create a meaningful “real-world” writing project. Students focused on rhythm, rhyme, communicating important information, and community-building with adults and older students, in a way that was both meaningful and honouring of their specific life contexts and experiences. This source is useful for my capstone as it explores specific successful activities and strategies that young children were able to use to explore topics important to them and to their world.

Ministry of Education and Child Care. (2020, July 9). Early learning framework. Province of British Columbia. Retrieved January 28, 2024, from https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/early-learning/teach/early-learning-framework

The Early Learning Framework (ELF) was written to support pedagogy and practice for children from Preschool-Grade 3, and provides inspiration and justification for teaching methods and learning activities. The guide is under-utilized by teachers and schools after preschool, however the principles and guidelines are intended to direct practice. Each of the lessons, from the written for the youngest preschoolers to those for grade two, will indicate the ELF Principles supported in the lesson.

Price, C. B. (2022). Shifting Education Through the Power of Stories: Teaching Social Justice in Early Childhood Education Using Critical Literacy Read Alouds. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.

Skimming this dissertation provided some inspiration for my project, as the author’s study was intended to “develop a deeper understanding of the effectiveness of teaching social justice principles in early childhood using critical literacy” (p. i). This was a valuable read, as I already knew that the dissertation topic was part of the focus I intended to have, and it provided valuable direction for research and consideration as I focused my project on critical literacy and classroom activities to go with it.

Stegelin, D. A. (2005). Making the Case for Play Policy: Research-Based Reasons to Support Play-Based Environments. YC Young Children, 60(2), 76–85.

This article from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) explores the importance of a play-based pedagogy for young learners, in early childhood and primary grade levels. Of specific importance and interest is the discussion of the link between play, early literacy, and social competence (pp. 81-84). For the purposes of my capstone project, many of the recommended literacy and social competency activities will be helpful in the planning of activities and lessons.

Taylor, M. E., & Boyer, W. (2020). Play-Based Learning: Evidence-Based Research to Improve Children’s Learning Experiences in the Kindergarten Classroom. Early Childhood Education Journal, 48(2), 127–133. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-019-00989-7

This paper looks at different types of play-based learning, and the kinds of learning that different types of play best support. I found the statements about a child’s perception of play to be very interesting, including that students often believe they are learning if an adult is involved in an activity but that it’s just play if there is no adult, and that children often perceive that floor-based activities are play while learning activities are at tables (p. 129). Key benefits of play that are relevant to this capstone project include the social-emotional skill development, academic learning, and the equalizing nature of play (pp. 129-130).