Teacher Educators' Perceptions and Practices of Social Justice in Skardu, Pakistan

The raising voices on social justice are at an increase in the Skardu district of Pakistan. The popular notion is that 'Socially Just' societies reflect teachers and educational institutions who nurture future generations. The perception and practices of teachers regarding social justice are influenced by social justice education. This qualitative phenomenological study explores the perceptions and practices of public sector teacher educators regarding teaching for social justice in Pakistan. The study was carried out in two teacher education institutions in District Skardu. Data collection was done through interviews, focus group discussions, and observations. Thematic analysis following an inductive approach was used. The lens used for data analysis focused on ‘Teaching for social justice.' The findings of the study revealed that the participants highlighted prominent commonalities regarding diversity, such as differences in abilities, attitudes, behaviors, region, religion, gender, culture, and socioeconomic condition of students in the classrooms. It further uncovered that the teacher educators perceived the concept of social justice in terms of equality and equity, relationships and differences, role models, and well-being. They were concerned about the discrimination and marginalization faced by the prospective teachers and were committed to mitigating such issues. These findings provide potential insight both for pre-service teachers and experienced teacher educators in Skardu, Pakistan.