From “Toeing” to “Stomping” the line: a first-year Chinese teacher’s agency for social justice

Purpose Amidst calls for social justice education in the field of world languages, many US states are actively attempting to pass legislation to prohibit such approaches and surveil teachers’ practice. Given these challenges, the purpose of this study is to understand how novice world language teachers who seek to enact agency for social justice navigate this precarious territory. Design/methodology/approach Taking a positioning perspective toward language teacher agency, this qualitative study sought to examine the dynamic interaction between the positioning and agency for social justice of one white world language teacher of Chinese, Lea, between her first and second years of teaching in the rural Midwest. Data included four interviews over the course of one year. Findings Findings illustrate the critical role of positionings on Lea’s agency for social justice, which was directed primarily at combatting racist perceptions toward Chinese people and advocating for LGBTQ+ people and issues within and beyond her language instruction. While her first year was marked by scrutiny from parents, her second year afforded her expanded agency given what she perceived as protection from colleagues, pedagogical and curricular autonomy, and a stronger personal connection within the school community. Originality/value This study contributes to the fields of social justice education and world languages teaching by engaging with critical questions such as: What aspects of social justice world language teaching are afforded to early career teachers practicing within challenging contexts? How do new language teachers navigate, both emotionally and pedagogically, the dynamic positionings they face over time?