Supporting Teachers and Children to Become Critical Thinkers of Social Justice and Inclusion

The chapter, written by university lecturers based in the United Kingdom, is aimed at teachers (and child practitioners) who work with children, aged 0–11 years in education and early years settings. Inspired by the work of Australian academics Kerry Robinson and Criss Jones-Diaz (Robinson and Jones-Diaz in Diversity and difference in childhood: Issues for theory and practice (2nd ed.). McGraw Hill, 2016), this chapter emphasises the need for teachers to adopt a more critical stance relating to issues of social justice and social inequalities. It examines some of the sociological and psychological perspectives that can be drawn upon to understand and address social inequalities. It provides models (Umbrella of Social Justice, Wheel of Inclusion, Reflecting Window of Prejudice, CAB), principles, and practical approaches that teachers may find useful when delivering social justice and inclusive education to children.