Can <scp>EFL</scp> Teacher Education Become a Space for Social Justice Issues? Reflections From Chilean Preservice Teachers' Narratives About Their Curriculum Ideologies

ABSTRACT EFL initial teacher education (ITE) cannot be detached from social diversity and the inequalities faced by students. To explore the possibilities of EFL ITE from a social justice approach, this qualitative study investigated the ideological positioning of 266 EFL preservice teachers and explored the rationales underneath a resulting ideological hybridity. Results show a predominance of the learner‐centered ideology; however, this perspective was often tied to the social reconstructionist ideology (hybridity). To delve into this phenomenon, this paper presents a narrative analysis of interviews with 4 participants who interrelate these ideologies. This shows that their ideological positioning and views on social justice issues come from their understanding of teaching practices as actions that can potentially address sociocultural inequalities that they have personally experienced or observed. The article underlines the formative potential of identifying preservice teachers' ideological positioning (and hybridity), closing with implications for EFL ITE aiming to contribute to social justice.