Commoning for Social Justice: Redistribution, Recognition, and Participation in Two Learning Environments

This study delves into the relationship between education for social justice and the concept of educational commons, seeking to elucidate the connections that exist between these two distinct yet complementary components of inclusive and humanistic pedagogy. Education for social justice represents a fundamental tenet in contemporary educational discourse, emphasising the imperative of fostering equitable opportunities and social cohesion among learners. Educational commons, as an emerging paradigm, embodies the idea of shared and open educational resources, knowledge, and practices that are accessible to all, co-designed, co-assessed and serve the whole learning community, transcending traditional notions of ownership and hierarchy in education. This study explores the diverse strategies that are based on or are aligning with commoning principles as enacted in two educational contexts in Estonia. Through Action Research, which included observations in a formal and a non-formal learning environment, and focus groups interviews, these practices were documented and are discussed in relation to the principles of social justice, namely: redistribution, recognition, and participation. By investigating the interplay between these two pedagogical approaches, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of the potential synergy between education for social justice and educational commons, highlighting their capacity to catalyse positive change within education systems.