In higher education and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), interlocking oppressions can lead to inequitable environments for those who hold marginalized identities. Instructors can play key roles in either exacerbating or mitigating these inequities through their pedagogical approaches and choice of curricular material.…

In this article we share the work we have done as teacher educators in developing a third-year undergraduate module which nurtures our students to develop their own pedagogic vision and to consider themselves 'change agents' able to orient themselves within social and political structures rather than merely adapting to the status quo. We locate…

Doctoral education is a time of profound identity shaping. Educational leadership continues to be dominated by assumptions about Whiteness and maleness as well as calls to center social justice in the educational leadership curriculum. In this paper, I describe the critical pedagogical approaches and underpinnings I used in the genesis,…

More than two-thirds of U.S. adults fall below recommended guidelines for physical activity (PA). One possible explanation for this is decreased feelings of self-efficacy and heightened discomfort in exercise settings among persons in special populations. Increasing social justice-based education and experiences is important for creating an…

This essay discusses the impact of a diversity and social justice course on the assessment philosophy and practice of an early-career higher education assessment professional. The author, who directs institutional assessment practices at a public 4-year institution in the northeastern United States and is pursuing an online doctorate in higher…

Despite incorporating diversity coursework into most higher education and student affairs (HESA) graduate programs, HESA graduate students report feeling underprepared to enact social justice work. Current pedagogical approaches introduce students to foundational concepts but fail to develop reflective, justice conscious administrators. This…

Master of social work (MSW) students will work with a significant number of people with disabilities and thus need to learn about disability as both a descriptive and a political identity. While new curriculum resources and competencies developed by the Council on Social Work Education for teaching about disability are a critical step, little has…

Many leadership educators want to incorporate cultural relevance, cultural responsiveness, and social justice into their work but may be uncertain of how to begin. Others may already be working in culturally relevant leadership learning (CRLL) modalities and deeply desire advice on how to elevate their offerings. Here, the authors provide a brief…

This article presents the Leadership Tree Model, a metaphorical and conceptual framework for transformative leadership development in higher education. Rooted in critical pedagogy and social justice, the model encourages educators to create inclusive, reflective, and action-oriented learning environments. It positions leadership as a relational…

This essay describes the development and implementation of the redesigned Doctor of Education program at Northeastern University. In our new model, students implement and evaluate the effectiveness of their change work while enrolled in our program. Our intent in moving from a traditional model to our alternative model was to focus on providing…

The reasons particular people enjoy science, pursue science, and see themselves as science people, or not, are diverse and complex (Brickhouse, et al., 2000). The ways that teachers present science and value particular ways of knowing and doing in the classroom can influence which students see themselves as science people (Carlone et al, 2011).…

The authors have a lot in common. They are white, cis women, former K-12 art teachers, and recent doctoral graduates. They both entered their first classrooms with good intentions to create lessons reflecting diverse students. Yet, after a few years of teaching, they developed a sinking feeling in the pit of their stomachs. They developed a…

Institutional transformation and inclusion have slowly become more prominent in the strategies of historically white institutions in South Africa. Despite these efforts, progress towards these goals has been limited. In this article, we reflect on our conversations about transforming our curricula and teaching practices as an interdisciplinary…

This article is my personal and decidedly unapologetic Black meditation on and against the threshold concepts the Department of Teaching, Curriculum, and Educational Inquiry, where I formerly taught has embraced as a means of addressing issues of social justice. Threshold concepts are a set of guide posts to enact change. Drawing on Black critical…

Place-based education is pedagogy rooted in local landscapes, community experts, and embodied communication. This essay explores the authors' initial findings from a two-year pilot project that connects students from the University of New Mexico and students from Colorado College in a multisite field experience connected to the Rio Grande…