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RESEARCH ARTICLE
The emergence of science teacher leadership in the context
of the pursuit of teaching science for social justice
Emily Lisy
1
| Todd Campbell
1
| Byung-Yeol Park
2
1
Department of Curriculum & Instruction,
Neag School of Education, University of
Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
2
Institute of Integrated Science Education,
Dankook University, Yongin, South Korea
Correspondence
Emily Lisy, Department of Curriculum &
Instruction, Neag School of Education,
University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT,
USA.
Email: [email protected]
Abstract
As a result of more recent events connected to the ongoing and lasting legacy
of systemic racism in our society and the sparsity of research focused on both
disciplinary teacher leadership (TL) and centering social justice and equity in
teacher leadership literature reviews, this research investigated the ways in
which science teacher leadership (STL) emerged in the context of a science
department engaged in a year-long professional learning experience aimed at
teaching science for social justice. Drawing on a community of practice teacher
leadership identity model as a theoretical framework and qualitative research
methods, we sought to characterize STL that centered social justice. Written
teacher reflections, semi-structured interviews, and science lessons were col-
lected from the six female science teachers and a female school administrator.
The research revealed how STL supportive of teaching science for social justice
was grounded in, among other characterizations of teacher leadership, compe-
tences like content and pedagogical knowledge, performances like inclusive-
ness and lesson design, and support from the structure of the year-long
professional learning, and engagement in a community of practice. This
research provides insights into the complex characterization and emergence
of STL.
KEYWORDS
science teacher leadership, teacher leadership identity, teaching science for social justice
1|INTRODUCTION
Wenner and Campbell (2017) in their review of teacher
leadership, among other important findings, noted the
scarcity of research focused on social justice and equity
and disciplinary (e.g., science, math) teacher leadership.
While research has increasingly focused on science
teacher leadership since Wenner and Campbell's review
(e.g., Barth et al., 2023; Criswell et al., 2018; Heredia
et al., 2023) and a few examples can be found detailing
the roles teacher leaders can play in connection to social
justice and equity pursuits (e.g., Wenner & Camp-
bell, 2018), research focused on the intersection of social
justice and equity and disciplinary teacher leadership is
sparse. Given this, the current study examined the emer-
gence and characteristics of teacher leadership within a
secondary science department that took on the challenge
of teaching science for social justice. It investigated the
ways in which teacher leadership emerged and was char-
acterized and supported when teachers were empowered,
provided agency and time to learn about and develop,
implement, and refine approaches for teaching science
for social justice.
At the time of this research and during the COVID-19
pandemic, many social injustices became even more
apparent (Abraham et al., 2021; Burgess et al., 2022; Diaz
Received: 19 December 2023 Revised: 9 April 2024 Accepted: 15 April 2024
DOI: 10.1111/ssm.12662
Sch Sci Math. 2024;1–14. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/ssm © 2024 School Science and Mathematics Association. 1
et al., 2022). As schools are situated in communities
where these injustices are felt the most (communities
with lower socioeconomic status and predominantly mar-
ginalized student populations), teachers and teacher
leaders were even more likely to concern themselves with
or be positioned to find ways to address these injustices
(Verma et al., 2020). Specifically related to teacher
leaders, researchers like Criswell et al. (2018) explain
how teacher leaders might play a role in addressing con-
cerns like social injustices, since they are “able to
empower others to promote change”(p. 1275). More spe-
cifically, teacher leaders can take risks by integrating
community issues involving social justice into their class-
rooms and encourage collaboration with other teachers
to promote change. Further, communities of practices
(CoPs) of teachers, or groups of teachers with common
interests and commitments engaged in similar pursuits
(see Lave & Wenger, 1991; Wenger, 2000), can explore
how science education can be used as a tool for social jus-
tice, while also supporting the development of ways
to implement more critical and culturally relevant (Lad-
son-Billings, 1995) and responsive (Gay, 2000) teaching
pedagogies. However, Criswell et al. (2018), and others
(e.g., Park et al., 2024), stress how professional learning
opportunities and collegial support are both crucial
for teachers' emergence as teacher leaders in these
communities.
A community of practice can provide a supportive
and collaborative environment that can help to foster sci-
ence teacher leadership (Barth et al., 2023; Lotter
et al., 2020; Park et al., 2024). These communities can
afford science educators, both experienced and less expe-
rienced, opportunities to share their developing and
expert knowledge of teaching (Bell, 2019) and pedagogi-
cal strategies rooted in experiences, resources, lesson
plans, and other educational materials. Further, engaging
with a community of practice affords teachers space for
collaborative problem solving when taking on complex
challenges like teaching science for social justice (Leon-
ard & Woodland, 2022). More specifically, when science
teachers work together to elevate a focus on social justice
in classrooms they can provide peer emotional support
and encouragement (Lisy & Campbell, under review). In
the context of our research, we acknowledge that the
concept of teaching science for social justice has been
framed by several equity discourses as highlighted by the
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medi-
cine (NASEM, 2022) and Philip and Azevedo (2017).
Our previous research (Lisy & Campbell, under review)
surfaced that in the department in this study, teaching
science for social justice emphasized increased achieve-
ment, representation, and identification with science.
Additionally, the department positioned science as a tool
for social transformation in connection with social justice
movements (NASEM, 2022). This involved, among other
teaching practices, teachers that actively planned for
examples to use in the curriculum throughout the year
that highlighted diverse representation and designing
sensemaking opportunities for students focused on data
about particular equity and social justice issues like the
geographic distribution of asthma rates situated in the
communities where students lived, respectively.
Given the promise of communities of practice for sup-
porting the emergence of teacher leadership and the chal-
lenges and complexity of teaching science for social
justice, the following question guided our research:
Within a science department, how was the emergence of
teacher leadership connected to the pursuit of teaching
science for social justice characterized?
More about the methods we used to answer our
research question are shared in the methods section, but
first we provide literature and the theoretical framework
we used to orient to disciplinary teacher leadership aimed
at the pursuit of teaching science for social justice.
2|LITERATURE REVIEW AND
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
2.1 |The emergence and development of
teacher leadership
The emergence of teacher leaders presents a challenge in
the field of teacher leadership, as highlighted by Trabona
et al. (2019), who points out the scarcity of research on
“how emerging teacher leaders navigate the structure of
schools and districts, build collegial relationships,
encourage collaboration, and foster educational improve-
ments at the classroom level”(p. 472). Wenner and
Campbell (2017) also identify how there is a lack of infor-
mation about teacher leadership in certain disciplines
such as science. Recently, teacher leaders were named
not by titles, but by the actions teachers took to improve
the school such as mentoring and forming professional
learning communities, among others (Barth et al., 2023;
Heredia et al., 2023). A community of practice beyond
the classroom offers teachers the chance to develop an
ongoing, broader leadership perspective (Jacobs & Cro-
well, 2018) that can shift teachers' identities to include
that of becoming teacher leaders (Barth et al., 2023).
There are also qualities of an effective community of
practice that help teacher leadership identities emerge
including knowledge sharing, support, role models, alter-
native perspectives, and a sense of kinship among like-
minded professionals (Barth et al., 2023; Park
et al., 2024). In fact, Barth and colleagues revealed how
teacher leaders emerged when being challenged to do
more in a positive and supportive environment. The
2LISY ET AL.
principals' support (Cassata & Allensworth, 2021; Cooper
et al., 2016; Ryan et al., 2017; Sebastian et al., 2016) and
relationships in collaborative work (Bae et al., 2016; Cas-
sata & Allensworth, 2021; Fairman & Mackenzie, 2015)
are also instrumental in teacher leader development. Sci-
ence teacher leaders have also emerged through efforts to
reorganize classroom instruction to reduce harm to mar-
ginalized students (Heredia et al., 2023). Teacher leaders
can help to model professional attitudes and dispositions
to improve colleague's teaching and learning, build a col-
legial climate, and change structures for students and
teachers (Fairman & Mackenzie, 2015). In this context
with the teacher leader's important role, researchers like
Criswell et al. (2018) characterize teacher leaders as indi-
viduals that are fully functioning, a reflective practi-
tioner, learning partner, and scholar. Criswell et al.
(2018) also points out that teacher leaders as scholars can
be producers of knowledge.
Additionally, Park et al. (2024) discovered that CoP
networks offer another productive space for cultivating
the development of teacher leaders. Specifically, CoP net-
works offer structural elements that enable teachers and
teacher leaders to engage in collaborative efforts with fel-
low educators, which can accommodate the exchange of
interests and resources. Cole and Schlechty (1992) called
for “teachers to be leaders—leaders that blaze trails into
areas untouched by current educators”(p. 135) saying
that teacher leaders can develop in environments that
“demand reflection”(p. 136). Our research aims to con-
tribute to a deeper understanding of how science teacher
leaders emerge in educational contexts. By examining the
role of CoPs, we seek to provide insights that can inform
the development and support of science teacher leaders,
especially as they orient to social justice and equity as an
aim of their pursuits.
2.2 |Science teacher leadership
connected to teaching science for social
justice
York-Barr and Duke's (2004) literature review focused
on teacher leadership found no studies with reference to
social justice. Wenner and Campbell (2017), in their
review of the literature more than two decades later,
found very little research focused on teacher leadership
and social justice. In a study by Jacobs and Crowell
(2018), it was found that critical self-reflection, refram-
ing, and changing classroom practice were important for
social justice teacher leadership. More recently, studies
can be found that focus on teacher leadership and social
justice (Gümü¸setal.,2021), but not specifically about
science teacher leadership connected to social justice.
Jacobs and Crowell (2018) examined a graduate pro-
gram focused on teacher leaders' development in rela-
tion to social justice and found that promoting critical
consciousness is a key piece of this development.
Beyond this, there are numerous studies that focus
on social justice science teachers (Braaten & Sheth,
2016; Carlone & Johnson, 2007;Rivera,2013)andteach-
ing social justice in science (Dimick, 2012; Morales-
Doyle, 2017; Philip & Azevedo, 2017;Rodriguez&
Morrison, 2019), however, none of these studies consid-
ered teacher leadership.
When considering teacher leadership development
more generally, Luft et al. (2016) identified how any
framework for leadership development should include
“opportunities to learn among other teachers, and an
individual professional learning plan that has specific
learning objectives.”(p. 8). Luft and colleagues also
found that areas that supported teacher leadership devel-
opment were the “community of teachers and new
opportunities to engage in leadership experiences.”(p. 8).
Professional learning communities (PLCs) at their best
can support the discussion of experiences, build on cur-
rent knowledge, and offer latitude for teachers to focus
on what they want to learn (Leonard &Woodland, 2022;
Luft et al., 2016). Specifically, Leonard and Woodland's
research found how PLCs are an effective model of pro-
fessional development for antiracism and the transforma-
tion of teacher identity. Our research aims to bridge this
gap, by specifically exploring the intersection of science
teacher leadership and social justice and equity. In addi-
tion, we hope to contribute to the understanding of how
educators can lead initiatives promoting social justice
and equity within science education.
2.3 |Theoretical framework
The Communities of Practice Teacher Leadership Iden-
tity Model (CoPTLM) (Campbell et al., 2019) provides a
theoretical framework for understanding teacher leader-
ship by emphasizing the importance of participation in
communities of practice. It was developed out of and
aligns with Wenner and Campbell's (2017) definition of
teacher leaders as, “teachers who maintain K-12 class-
room-based teaching responsibilities, while also taking
on leadership responsibilities outside of the classroom”
(p. 7). According to the CoPTLM, teacher leaders develop
their leadership identity through engagement in learning
together, sharing expertise, and collaborating within
communities. The CoPTLM draws on Carlone & John-
son's (2007) framework as a foundation to characterize
TL identity with respect to the following three constructs
(i.e., central dimensions of identity):
LISY ET AL.3
•Competence—knowledge and understanding of sup-
portive leadership pursuits.
•Performance—social performances of relevant teacher
leader practices.
•Recognition—recognized by oneself and recognized by
others as a teacher leader.
Beyond these three main constructs of identity, the
CoPTLM (Campbell et al., 2019) also takes into account
the following:
•CoPs—the groups with common interests and commit-
ments engaged in similar pursuits where teacher
leaders' work resides
•Structures—cultural and community schemas and
accompanying resources that shape social action
•Teacher-Lens—the perspective and insights teachers
have about classrooms based on their day-to-day
responsibilities and commitments
•Dispositions—consistent dimensions of human person-
ality that manifest in behavioral patterns.
How all of these features of the CoPTLM interact and
intersect to characterize teacher leadership can be seen in
Figure 1. For example, in Figure 1, it can be seen how
CoP's might overlap (i.e., CoP #1 and CoP #2 in the fig-
ure) and how each develops competences, performances,
and internal and external recognition and each CoP is
overlaid on structures, teacher-lens, and dispositions that
support the aims of the respective CoPs in which TLs
engage.
This model integrates well with the context and
goal of teaching science for social justice. The model's
emphasis on recognizing teacher leaders through per-
formances and knowledge within a CoP aligns with
our examination of teacher leadership within a science
department pursuing teaching science for social
justice.
3|METHODS
This case study investigated the use of a professional
learning plan (PLP) which is a form of action inquiry, by
a science department of six teachers in a suburban school
district designed and enacted across an academic
school year focused on teaching science for social justice.
Science teachers were provided with opportunities to col-
laborate, reflect, and share their professional practice
with support from science department peers and their
administration. Our research examined how science
teacher leadership was characterized and supported dur-
ing these pursuits. Data consisted of semi-structured
interviews with groups of science teachers and an admin-
istrator as well as artifacts of the PLP and lesson plans.
This research was granted approval by the institutional
review board and carried out with compliance with the
ethical standards from the authors' institution. To safe-
guard the privacy of the participants, pseudonyms were
consistently used throughout the study.
3.1 |Context
This research was conducted at a suburban public high
school, grades 9 through 12, with a total student popula-
tion of 564 during the academic year 2021–2022. The stu-
dent demographic composition at this school primarily
consists of White students (80.1%), followed by Hispanic
students (14.2%), Asian students (3.5%), individuals of
two or more racial backgrounds (1.4%), American
Indian/Alaska Native students (0.4%), and Black students
(0.4%). Notably, 30% of students come from economically
disadvantaged backgrounds, and 31% are eligible for free
or reduced lunch, according to the U.S. News and World
Report's (2022) Best High School Rankings for 2022.
Within the school district in this study, each year
teachers undergo evaluations that use a variety of
FIGURE 1 The community of practice teacher
leadership model (Campbell et al., 2019, p. 190).
4LISY ET AL.
assessment methods including classroom observations,
test scores, student and parent surveys, as well as the cre-
ation and execution of professional learning experiences.
The teacher evaluation process involves the development
and implementation of a professional learning plan
(PLP). The PLP is aligned to district and school objectives
and allows teachers to set professional learning goals that
help to improve their instructional practices through
reflection (action inquiry). This process is dependent on
the structures in the school district and affords teachers
the opportunity to engage in authentic learning, reflect
on practices, collaborate and make changes in the class-
room (Ryan et al., 2017). During the academic year in
which this study was undertaken, the science department
adopted the same district, school, teacher, and student
goals for their science classrooms.
The PLP has two sections, one for teacher goals and
another for student goals. In each of these sections, there
are action steps (activities, strategies, and resources), cri-
teria for measuring progress and success, and a time-
frame for completing each step. Teachers provide a
summary of their progress halfway through the year and
at the end of the year. At the end of the year, teachers
provide a summary of the results based on each of the
action steps and also a reflection evaluating the extent
their goals were achieved. Teachers also reflected on how
their results and new learning can be applied to future
teaching and learning.
The science teachers at this school met formally once
or twice a month during science department meetings
and professional development time. The science depart-
ment meetings generally took place after school and
lasted an hour, while the professional development time
was part of early release days at school and lasted approx-
imately 4 h. These meetings were time for collaboration,
lesson planning, resource sharing, and peer critique as
teachers worked through the action steps in their PLP.
Additionally, informal discussions among science
teachers regarding lessons and teaching strategies hap-
pened often.
During the academic year of this study, the science
department identified social justice and equity within sci-
ence as the central focus of their professional learning
plan. This decision was influenced by multiple factors.
These factors included the female makeup of the science
department, composed largely of individuals who had
previously worked in nonteaching science roles, as well
as ongoing discussions about gender disparities in science
and broader conversations about social justice issues.
Some teachers had already incorporated lessons and con-
versations about social justice in their classrooms before
it was the focus of the PLP. Students also expressed inter-
est in exploring social justice topics in their science
classes particularly those who learned about it in their
English classes. Additionally, the period in which this
study took place saw a rise in awareness of systemic rac-
ism which contributed to the department's emphasis on
addressing societal injustices.
3.2 |Participants
During the 2021–2022 school year, this study involved the
participation of six science teachers and one administra-
tor. All participants were female and identified as White.
Teachers in this study had teaching experience ranging
from 1 to 19 years (see Table 1for teacher and adminis-
trator participant demographics and information).
3.3 |Data collection
Data collected included: each teacher's end of year PLP
with teacher reflections and application to future teach-
ing and learning, semi-structured interviews, and lessons
the teachers developed. The interviews each lasted
approximately 90 min and were completed in groups of
2 or 3 teachers. In addition, an individual, approximately
90-min, semi-structured interview was also completed
with the school administrator. All interviews were audio
recorded and transcribed. The semi-structured interview
protocols were developed to elicit both the details about
the approaches teachers used to teach social justice and
equity and the equity discourses they used to frame their
work. As well, because of the nature of data collected,
data from the semi-structured interviews and other arti-
facts collected also supported our characterization of
teacher leadership. With the exception of one interview,
all were conducted by the first author who served as both
a researcher participant and the department chair. As the
first author was also a teacher in the department and par-
ticipant in the study, the second author interviewed her.
Additionally, the first author contributed the same arti-
facts as the other participants in the study. The PLPs,
interviews, and lesson plans were collected to triangulate
the data (Creswell, 2013; Creswell & Miller, 2000) and
provide a breadth of complementary artifacts to afford a
“thick”description of the phenomenon (Geertz, 1973;
Lincoln & Guba, 1986).
An initial a priori coding framework was established.
The codes listed here were designed to capture meaning-
ful content related to the research question about how
the emergence of teacher leadership in science is charac-
terized and supported in a science department engaged
in the pursuit of teaching science for social justice. These
codes were derived from the work of Campbell et al.
LISY ET AL.5
(2019). Initially, interviews were coded using the a priori
codes. The same process was applied to code lesson plans
and PLPs.
3.4 |Data analysis
A modified approach based on Groenewald's (2004)
phase strategy was used to guide the data analysis pro-
cess. This process used a set of predetermined a priori
codes to identify and categorize units of meaning identi-
fied with the data. Once identified and coded, units of
meaning (i.e., any segment of data thought useful in
answering our research question) were organized into
overarching themes. These themes were then used to pro-
vide insights into the research question.
When coding interviews, PLPs, and lesson plans,
intercoder reliability (ICR) was established. This was
done by having both researchers independently review a
subset (10%–25%) of the interview transcripts, PLPs, and
lesson plans before comparing codes. This process was
used to encourage reflection and discussion to enhance
the credibility of the analysis (O'Connor & Joffe, 2020).
The ICR values, calculated based on percent agreement
between coders, were as follows: 0.93 for interviews, 0.91
for PLPs, and 1.00 for lesson plans. According to Krip-
pendorff (2004), ICR values between 0 and 0.20 are con-
sidered slight, 0.21–0.40 is fair, 0.41–0.60 is moderate,
0.61–0.80 is substantial, and 0.81–1 is nearly perfect.
After establishing ICR, the first author continued coding
the remaining interview transcripts, PLPs, and lesson
plans, regularly consulting with the second author to dis-
cuss the data. Any uncertainties or disagreements during
the ICR process or coding prompted a discussion and
revisit to the source material. To increase the trustworthi-
ness of the findings, a triangulation approach was used,
cross-referencing data from interviews, PLPs, and lesson
plans to identify any discrepancies. This helped to guard
against potential biases that may have gone unnoticed if
interviews had been the sole data source.
As an additional measure to enhance the credibility
of the findings, a member-checking process was con-
ducted with the study participants (Creswell &
Miller, 2000; Lincoln & Guba, 1986; Stake, 1995). This
process involved sharing the research question and the
themes derived from the code analysis with the
TABLE 1 Participant information.
Teacher
name
#of
years
teaching
# of years
teaching at
this school
# of years in
another
career Demographics
Science subject
area/primary
grade level(s) Teacher training
Anne 11 4 10 White female Biology (9/10) Master's degree in
education
Beth 12 12 8 White female Chemistry/Forensics
(11/12)
Alternative route to
teacher certification
and master's degree in
science
Clara 19 7 0 White female Physics/Integrated
Sci. (9–12)
Master's degree in
education and
additional master's
degree in science
Dawn 18 9 1 White female Anatomy/Env. Sci
(11/12)
Alternative route to
teacher certification
and master's degree in
science
Elizabeth 1 1 0 White female Biology/Integrated
Sci. (9/10)
Master's degree in
education
Francesca 10 2 0 White female Chemistry/
Integrated Sci.
(9–11)
Master's degree in
education and
additional master's
degree in science
Admin.
name
# years as
admin.
# of years as Admin.
At this school
# of years teaching before
becoming an admin. Demographics
Subject area
when a teacher
Gwen 15 15 12 White female History
Note: All names of participants are pseudonyms.
6LISY ET AL.
participants. Participants were encouraged to review the
research question and findings, providing feedback as
they reflected on their experiences within the department
throughout the academic year.
4|FINDINGS
In this study on science teacher leadership, characteris-
tics and support for teacher leaders as part of the
CoPTLM were explored in depth. In connection to char-
acterizing teacher leadership, teacher leaders' under-
standing of science content and pedagogy connected to
teaching science for social justice was important. The
competence in science they drew on supported them in
developing instructional strategies and meaningful learn-
ing experiences for students that integrated a focus on
social justice and equity in the curriculum. Teachers
either recognized themselves as teacher leaders or were
recognized by others as teacher leaders, something that
was consequential for motivating teachers to continue to
advocate for social justice in science education. The sup-
portive structure of the PLP and the school buoyed a
commitment to action inquiry, teacher reflection, and
discussion of teacher learning throughout the academic
year. The freedom, trust, and support from administra-
tion as well as support from colleagues was found to be
important for risk taking and challenges that teachers
faced. Ultimately, we found that the characterizations of
teacher leadership identified were supported through
opportunities for content and pedagogical connections
and knowledge generation, community building and
inclusiveness, the collaborative design of lessons,
and being comfortable in the classroom.
4.1 |TL characterization
In this section, we examined the characterization of
teacher leadership as it emerged during the implementa-
tion of teachers professional learning plans and social
justice and equity lessons they developed and enacted in
science classrooms. Tables 2and 3provide a comprehen-
sive overview of the key findings organized by the fea-
tures of the CoPTLM, as well as example quotes helpful
in exemplifying each key finding. Following the tables, a
detailed discussion of the CoPTLM model is provided,
organized around the three primary teacher leadership
identity constructs (competence, performance, recogni-
tion). The teacher lens and dispositions are interwoven
into the discussion on the three primary identity con-
structs. Additionally, a separate subsection explores the
structures associated with the CoPTLM.
4.1.1 | Competences
Science content and pedagogical knowledge as well as
new knowledge generation were found to be important
for teachers when teaching science for social justice.
Equally as important were teachers' reflections and dis-
positions of openness to student viewpoints and willing-
ness and humility to consider students' perspectives as
valuable classroom contributions. For example, in the
quote in Table 2from Francesca illustrating competence,
TABLE 2 TL characterization with competences,
performances, and forms of recognition.
Competences Performances
Forms of
recognition
Content knowledge Inclusiveness Self-recognition
Pedagogical
knowledge
Design of
lessons
Recognized by
others
Competences
Content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge—I focused on
environmental justice…from some of the survey data, kids
didn't even know definitions of equity or social justice…So,
instead of looking at gender discrimination and science, I
wanted to find [a lesson] I could incorporate into what I
was teaching so it didn't seem like it was separate and
something different that they were never going to see
again…looking at data that they could draw their own
conclusions and actual data like that…is relevant to where
they live…[I got] them to come to their own conclusions
where they're like yeah, this actually makes sense…We
looked at air pollution [and asthma rates in communities]
which helps [students] understand why we were learning
what we were learning (Francesca, Interview).
Performance
Inclusiveness and design of lessons—When [students] looked
at case studies of injustices within medicine or science I
think they had more empathy …because they knew it
actually happened versus some theoretical happening …I
think it generated a sense of agency because I had them
write additional questions they had so that really fostered a
discussion after each lesson …A lot of students were more
vulnerable in those discussions because they were talking
about certain topics they weren't necessarily comfortable
with, but it created a safe space for them (Elizabeth,
Interview).
Recognition
Self-recognition—I would consider myself to be a teacher
leader. I really like mentoring new teachers officially or
unofficially…I just think that being a teacher leader is
helpful to everybody and everybody's learning. (Clara,
interview)
Recognition by others—I also think of you as a leader in the
chemical department…you're the expert, you know
everything. (Clara recognizing Beth, Interview).
LISY ET AL.7
she incorporates environmental justice into the chemistry
classroom to support students' developing understanding
of social justice and equity. By focusing on a topic like air
pollution and asthma rates in local communities, Fran-
cesca not only engaged students but drew on her content
knowledge in chemistry to connect the lesson to the cur-
riculum on chemical reactions. Drawing on pedagogical
knowledge, she used local data to facilitate a more mean-
ingful learning experience that afforded students oppor-
tunities to draw their own conclusions related to social
injustices and recognize how examples of social justice
connected to their own lives and communities.
As well, science teachers' content and pedagogical
knowledge was shared in this community of practice
throughout the school year which helped other science
teachers consider knowledge applications and pedagogi-
cal strategies in their own classrooms. As Dawn stated in
an interview, “even just kind of reflecting on what some
of the teachers learned as they were doing it [enacting a
specific social justice focused lesson] and what they even
heard from students that they may never even thought of
before”helped teachers develop and draw on their emer-
gent pedagogical knowledge as they considered ways to
teach science for social justice.
Teachers' dispositional stances of openness and
humility supported them in recognizing the context-
specific nature of how science and society intersect in
connection to social justice concerns. Teachers empha-
sized the importance of open and receptive attitudes and
understanding diverse perspectives that, at times, chal-
lenged their own perspectives. Clara shared the value of
active listening and fostering classroom discussion that
flowed naturally as a way of developing an appreciation
and recognizing the significance of students' viewpoints.
In Beth's interview, she shared a willingness to recon-
sider her own beliefs when presented with alternative
TABLE 3 TL characterization with structure, teacher lens, and dispositions.
Structure Teacher lens Disposition
PLP/action inquiry Bridge building Openness
Support (peer/administrative) Empathy Humility
Structure
PLP—I think it [the PLP] brought us closer as a department, because no matter what subject we are teaching, we are all going through
the same sort of thing, teaching new social justice concepts in our classes. (Elizabeth, interview).
Action inquiry—[From the data collected]. I think just how to apply it better and how to make it more relevant to students and how to
not just teach for me to not just teach things that have happened in the past, but teach how to approach the future I guess, and
approach their thinking. (Anne, Interview).
Support (peer)—I think of when it got difficult initially [with parent push back] we all supported each other [in the department] and I
think that was super helpful. We decided we were all going to be brave together and how we're going to go forward. I think if I had
just been me, I would have just given up, but knowing that everybody else was going to keep trying (Anne, Interview).
Support (administrative)—I felt like you were supported. Even when there was some negative parent feedback, it was very quick that
the administration came and said, you know, we know you're doing this, we think it's worthy and keep doing what you're doing. I
felt like that was good because it wasn't ever the climate where I was worried about my job. I would have been worried in other
places (Anne, Interview).
Teacher lens
Bridge building/empathy—…before you can talk on the topic [you need] to have a basic understanding or do your research and let the
kids know that you're not an expert, but you're learning as well because it's constantly evolving and changing. We do more research
and our own ideas change. So that gets into the open mindedness and being empathetic…I think you have to have a foundation of a
good relationship with the students that you're teaching these lessons with so that they feel vulnerable or safe talking about these
topics and the same thing with your colleagues…I felt that just being more comfortable talking to kids about race through these
lessons has been easier to kind of bring awareness to them about how these problems do exist…(Francesca, interview).
Disposition
Openness—In the classroom, …[I] kind of let it flow and let the conversation go and see where it leads and really listen to kids …I
also think it's really important to be open …I think in science there's kind of the old school like I am right I have all the answers,
and just kind of moving away from that and knowing you don't have all the answers when it comes to this kind of conversation [i.e.,
social justice related issues] and the kid's perspectives who are in your room it's really important to listen to (Clara, interview).
Humility—I've also told students in my class who brought up a perspective or thought of something in a completely different way…
When someone thinks about something that I've thought about…and suddenly they bring in this new perspective I may not
necessarily agree with them, but I really enjoy that kind of [perspective] I need to step back and reassess my whole thought process
(Beth, Interview).
8LISY ET AL.
viewpoints, demonstrating the reflective nature of teach-
ing science for social justice. Teacher content and peda-
gogical knowledge fostered opportunities that were
complemented by dispositions of openness and humility
in ways that created inclusive environments where
teachers reported students being more comfortable shar-
ing their diverse perspectives.
4.1.2 | Performance
Teachers' performances identified were creating class-
room climates of inclusiveness and the design of lessons.
The teacher leaders accomplished this through focusing
on community building and inclusiveness inside and
beyond the walls of their classroom. The design of the
lessons that fostered an inclusive classroom climate and
their comfort level in the classroom were key elements to
these performances. Having a community of inclusive-
ness where teachers and students felt comfortable and
safe talking about issues of social justice and equity was
important for both teachers and students in classrooms.
Francesca (Interview) reiterated this,
…You have to have a foundation of a good
relationship with the students that you're
teaching these lessons with. So that they feel
vulnerable or safe talking about these topics.
As part of lesson design, the use of real-life case studies
when teaching social justice in science showcases this
form of teacher performance. In an example in Table 2,
Elizabeth not only deepened student engagement and
empathy, but also fostered a sense of student agency as
they explored asthma rates locally. This demonstrated
her ability to design lessons that elicited meaningful,
open discussions from students connected to their com-
munities and lives. In addition, this teacher's perfor-
mance of integrating case studies as part of lesson design,
fostering empathy, and facilitating open discussion
helped foster a more inclusive learning environment.
Further in Table 3, Francesca emphasized the impor-
tance of cultivating a receptive and empathetic teaching
perspective or teacher lens. This empathetic teacher lens
fostered a comfort level in addressing discussions of sub-
jects like race as a way of building bridges that connected
matters of social justice to matters of science.
4.1.3 | Recognition
The science teachers in this study either recognized
themselves as teacher leaders or were recognized by their
colleagues or administrators as teacher leaders. However,
some did not think that they emerged as teacher leaders
as part of their engagement in the PLP. Some may have
already thought of themselves as teacher leaders before
this project based on other work that they had done or
were recognized by others for work that they had done
previously in other CoPs. Teachers thought of themselves
as teacher leaders if they helped to mentor new teachers
or if they were willing to listen, share, and offer sugges-
tions to other teachers. As Francesca said in her inter-
view, “I [consider myself] a teacher leader at least within
the department through collaboration with all of you.”
In Table 2, Clara recognized herself as a teacher
leader, emphasizing the importance of mentoring and
fostering collaborative learning to benefit others.
Although Beth did not recognize herself as a teacher
leader, Clara recognized her as a teacher leader for her
work and her expertise in Chemistry. This demonstrated
how teacher leaders can be recognized not only through
mentorship and collaboration, but also as a result of their
disciplinary expertise (e.g., chemistry). This also illus-
trated more diverse examples of recognition for teacher
leaders that are possible beyond more formal roles/titles.
Interestingly, though, some teachers did not recognize
themselves as teacher leaders even as evidence was found
related to them being engaged in the process of develop-
ing as teacher leaders, in relation to teaching science for
social justice. They felt like they were still learning and
instead focused more on recognizing themselves as
learners as Elizabeth (a first-year teacher) stated in her
interview, “I continue to grow moving forward. I don't
feel like I've mastered it yet, but I have made a good step
forward this year.”Others did recognize themselves as
teacher leaders, “I continue to grow and continue to try
different things [teaching social justice in science], I
think that I would be considered a teacher leader”
(Dawn, interview). While some teachers were hesitant to
self-identify as teacher leaders, particularly in the context
of teaching science for social justice, they did, however,
share a commitment for ongoing learning about social
justice and equity and fostering inclusive learning envi-
ronments. This hesitation comes from the teachers'
awareness that they had only recently begun to engage in
the challenge of teaching science for social justice and
did not perceive themselves as experts yet. The awareness
of their ongoing growth in this field positions them as
emerging teacher leaders in relation to teaching science
for social justice.
4.1.4 | Structures
PLP/action inquiry
The structure of the PLP focused on collecting data from
students as part of action inquiry to reflect and refine
LISY ET AL.9
lessons to improve instruction. This structure and com-
mitment to action inquiry throughout the year provided
infrastructure supportive of teachers as they engaged in
this work. Science teachers collected baseline data in the
form of a survey to better understand what students
knew about social justice and equity issues and subse-
quently designed lessons where appropriate in the curric-
ulum to improve student understanding, empathy, and
their ability to see connections between social justice
and science. After each lesson, data was collected in the
form of surveys that guided teachers learning, as well as
the design of future lessons. At each stage, the action
inquiry protocol elicited teacher and student reflection to
improve instruction.
Anne in her interview (Table 3) emphasized the need
to continually refine teaching practices making them
more relevant to student experiences. This helped dem-
onstrate the role of action inquiry in shaping teaching
practices that are responsive to the needs of students and
reveals the promise of how teacher leaders engaging in
action inquiry can support more equitable, relevant, and
responsive forms of instruction for their students.
Support (peer/administrative)
Teacher leaders found a supportive culture, freedom, and
trust crucial in their efforts to teach science for social jus-
tice. These components were fostered among teachers in
the department and by administration. Science teachers
were not only supported in the department though their
collaborations with peers as exemplified in the quote
from Anne in Table 3(i.e., “We decided we were all going
to be brave together and how we're going to go forward”)
to take on this work, they were also supported by the
administration. Specifically, administrative support and
strong leadership was extremely important for the suc-
cess of the science teachers in this department when tak-
ing on the risk of teaching science for social justice,
especially in the polarized sociopolitical climate that sur-
rounded these efforts at the time this study was con-
ducted (i.e., 2021–2022). This administrative support
helped science teachers overcome the challenges and
pressures they experienced. Anne's additional quote in
Table 3, highlights that, despite potential challenges such
as negative parent feedback, the administration sup-
ported the science department's efforts in implementing
social justice lessons in the science classroom. This level
of needed support created a climate where science
teachers felt encouraged to continue their work without
fearing repercussions related to job security. Undergird-
ing Gwen's, the administrator's, support both with par-
ents but also in creating a culture conducive to teachers
learning about teaching science for social justice, was the
following view:
I think the way that we see change occur is
very collaborative and is very much rooted in
helping staff really understand the why
behind its importance and then providing
time for there to be a lot of discussion about
what this would look like. I think the idea of
engaging staff at first to say this is important
work and let's talk a little bit about why,
then, where would this work be most impor-
tant in your department and not everyone
has to do it the same way. So similar to sci-
ence, the opportunity that was given to
explore social justice and equity from where
they were comfortable, and then continuing
to evaluate on a regular basis and lots of
reflection. It's okay if it doesn't go well ini-
tially and what are we going to do as a result
if it doesn't and support (Gwen, Interview).
Ultimately, administrators, like Gwen, can act as allies
for teachers by providing necessary support (e.g., when
engaging with parents; in providing time for collabora-
tion and reflection) and demonstrating a level of trust in
teachers as professionals capable of engaging in, learning
about, developing knowledge about teaching science for
social justice, and leading.
5|DISCUSSION
The findings from this study help provide one characteri-
zation of teacher leadership aimed at teaching science for
social justice, as well as the kinds of support that sur-
rounded this form of teacher leadership. Importantly,
Table 4details what we believe are key contributions
TABLE 4 Science teacher leadership for social justice and
equity.
Key findings
1. Teacher leaders felt most prepared to integrate a social
justice and equity focus when it connected well with their
existing disciplinary course foci and drew on their existing
disciplinary specific content and pedagogical knowledge.
2. Performances connected to cultivating inclusive classrooms
and the design of lessons were key to centering social justice
and equity in science classrooms.
3. Perhaps the most important influence on science teacher
leadership focused on teaching science for social justice
were structures, specifically the PLP and action inquiry, that
fostered peer and administrative support, as well as time,
space, and a focus on reflective and collaborative
opportunities.
10 LISY ET AL.
from our research capable of offering insights into the
emergence of science teacher leadership for social justice.
The key contributions are used to organize our
discussion.
5.1 |Teacher leaders integrating social
justice and equity with their existing
content and pedagogical knowledge
The initial key finding from this research relates to how
teacher leaders felt most prepared to integrate a social
justice and equity focus when it connected well with their
existing disciplinary course foci and drew on their exist-
ing disciplinary specific content and pedagogical knowl-
edge. This also led to, in the context of the collaborative
nature of the CoP, teacher leaders being willing to share
their content and pedagogically grounded social justice
and equity focused integration strategies with other
teachers in the department, as well as them offering
ongoing support and collaboration. Such actions from
teachers (i.e., willingly sharing teaching resources and
strategies with other teachers and offering support
and collaboration) resembled the kinds of actions other
researchers have attributed to teacher leaders (Criswell
et al., 2018; Park et al., 2024), especially as teacher
leaders buttressed other teachers' learning by also offer-
ing different perspectives, sharing knowledge, and
modeling practices (Collinson, 2012; Muijs & Har-
ris, 2006; Park et al., 2024). In the context of this
research, these teacher leadership actions were that
much more important, since they involved teacher lead-
ership actions that centered social justice and equity—a
type of teacher leadership action not often detailed in the
literature (Wenner & Campbell, 2017; York-Barr &
Duke, 2004).
5.2 |Cultivating inclusive classrooms
and the design of lessons as performances
for teaching science for social justice
Our second key finding related to how performances con-
nected to cultivating inclusive classrooms and the design
of lessons were key to centering social justice and equity
in science classrooms. Similar to this finding, researchers
like Upegui et al. (2022), when incorporating social jus-
tice into biology classes, also identified how ensuring that
students felt valued and respected—what we consider to
be characteristics of inclusive classrooms—was key
to creating environments conducive to students interro-
gating real-world social justice issues. In this current
research connected to this finding, the combination of
designing social justice and equity focused lessons that
featured diverse representation and identification with
science or social transformation connected to strategies
teachers drew on to foster inclusiveness created a space
where students felt comfortable examining complex
social justice issues in science classrooms. In addition,
this key finding also resonates with what Heredia et al.
(2023) point to as an activist teacher leader role, since
they described this type of teacher leader role as one that
involved creating inclusive environments to minimize
harm to marginalized students, while centering social
justice and equity aims in science classrooms.
5.3 |The PLP and action inquiry as
structures for teaching science for social
justice
As detailed in Table 4, perhaps the most important influ-
ence on science teacher leadership focused on teaching
science for social justice were structures, specifically the
PLP and action inquiry, that fostered peer and adminis-
trative support, as well as time, space, and a focus on
reflective and collaborative opportunities. The structure
of the PLP that focused on action inquiry provided a
framework or infrastructure that fostered teachers'
engagement in addressing and responding to student
needs by adapting and improving their approaches to
teaching science for social justice—characteristic of the
type of infrastructure detailed as important in numerous
other studies of teacher leadership (Esposito &
Smith, 2006; Jacobs & Crowell, 2018; Miedijensky & Sas-
son, 2022; Muijs & Harris, 2006; Ryan et al., 2017;
Somekh & Zeichner, 2009). The structure afforded by the
PLP, along with the commitment of science teachers to
teach social justice, fostered collaboration among science
teachers. Not only did this create the conditions for
shared professional practice, it also created time, space,
and latitude for teachers to adapt curricular and instruc-
tional approaches that more seamlessly connected to
their content areas, something important for connecting
more authentic versions of who they were as teachers. As
well, connected to structures and entangled with how
important the PLP was as a negotiated administrative
sanctioned school process, teachers identified the impor-
tance of having strong administrative support when faced
with initial challenges and resistance encountered in
introducing social justice topics in their science class-
rooms. Others (e.g., Cassata & Allensworth, 2021; Cooper
et al., 2016; Ryan et al., 2017; Sebastian et al., 2016) have
identified the benefits that can come from administrators
creating supportive cultures, grounded in freedom and
trust. Specifically, this kind of administrative support
LISY ET AL.11
empowers teachers to take risks and innovate their teach-
ing (Balyer et al., 2017) and in the case of this research
taking risks and innovating teaching was inscribed in the
PLP and how it was implemented by the administration
and the CoP in this study. In addition to administrative
support, support from peers in the CoP was also an essen-
tial feature of how teacher leadership connected to teach-
ing science for social justice unfolded in the department.
Both types of support fostered teachers' perseverance in
the face of resistance—resistance inherent in the develop-
ment of new approaches to teaching and learning and
the socio-political resistance that can come from parents
with polarized ideological stances that are triggered by
talk of social justice and equity.
6|IMPLICATIONS AND
CONCLUSION
In this research, the community of practice (i.e., the sci-
ence department) played a crucial role in creating condi-
tions for inclusive and socially just science teaching and
learning during this year-long work. Creating supportive
environments within the science department with the
school administration was key to empowering and sup-
porting emerging teacher leaders' commitment to teach-
ing science that sought to center social justice. We
believe the contribution of our research lies in our
nuanced characterization of teacher leadership that seeks
to support teaching science for social justice. This repre-
sents one context dependent manifestation in one science
department, yet by using the CoPTLM we were able to
map out the terrain of how science teacher leadership for
social justice and equity unfolded in ways that go beyond
just naming the tasks teacher leaders undertake (Camp-
bell et al., 2019). The CoPTLM illustrates how this sci-
ence department's initiative to teach science for social
justice moved beyond work within teachers' classrooms
since teachers co-created curriculum for their own and
for others' classrooms, outside of their own. According to
the CoPTLM teacher leaders develop their leadership
identity by engaging in learning together, sharing exper-
tise, and collaborating within communities to accomplish
a meaningful pursuit, especially with aims that move
beyond the walls of their classrooms. This study provides
evidence that teacher competence, performance, and rec-
ognition are important factors for teacher leader identity
development when teaching science for social justice.
Teachers recognized themselves or peers as teacher
leaders, however, some expressed some level of hesitation
in identifying themselves as teacher leaders in relation to
teaching science for social justice because they perceived
their work in this area as only at the beginning stages of
development. This interaction of all components of the
CoPTLM characterizes the emergence of teacher leaders
and how the engagement in the pursuit of teaching sci-
ence for social justice served as a driver for teacher leader
development for teachers in the department. Further, our
research also contributes to the dearth of studies focused
on both disciplinary teacher leadership and social justice
and equity, and is, we believe, that much more important
since it does this as these two under-researched areas
intersect.
In the end, we believe this research can set the stage
for the characterizations of other ways that teacher lead-
ership for teaching science for social justice can unfold
and what it can look like in other contexts, as well as
what seems most important in anchoring these other
future context-dependent manifestations. Beyond this,
future research might also explore teacher leadership for
teaching science for social justice that is supported by
similarly adopted or adapted PLP structures, like was
used and found to be important in this current study, to
engage other science departments or related communities
of practice. Such research could seek to refine and
improve structures like the PLP as they are tuned to dif-
ferent settings and socio-political contexts in the future.
We acknowledge that the study was completed in a sec-
ondary science department but believe it can contribute
to a broader audience. By exploring the intersection of
science teacher leadership and social justice, our research
can offer valuable insights for university teacher prepara-
tion programs, K-12 administrators, science department
leaders and science educators. The study illustrates how
educators can lead initiatives promoting social justice in
science education, while also developing as science
teacher leaders. Our research highlights a supportive
administration, however, we acknowledge that the level
of administrative support can vary across schools. This is
a limitation that should be considered when working to
support the development of science teacher leadership
focused on teaching science for social justice in different
settings or geographic locations with differing levels of
administrative support.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
ORCID
Emily Lisy https://orcid.org/0009-0004-2270-9122
Todd Campbell https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6844-5303
Byung-Yeol Park https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7474-9693
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How to cite this article: Lisy, E., Campbell, T., &
Park, B.-Y. (2024). The emergence of science
teacher leadership in the context of the pursuit of
teaching science for social justice. School Science
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