In-person and Online Intervention Workshops (January – February 2025)
Our ambitious research project, “Inclusive and Social Justice-Oriented Pedagogies in English Language Classrooms: Insights from Türkiye, Pakistan, and the UK,” reached a significant milestone with the successful completion of its international workshop series. Engaging pre-service English language teachers from three distinct contexts, these workshops provided a crucial platform for collaborative learning and critical dialogue on integrating social justice and inclusion into language education.
The series commenced with in-person workshops at Trabzon University, Türkiye (January 11-12, 2025), fostering rich discussion in a focused setting. This was followed by a dedicated online workshop for participants in Pakistan (February 1-2, 2025), ensuring wide accessibility, and culminated with in-person sessions at the University of Stirling, Scotland (February 22-23, 2025).
Each two-day workshop was meticulously structured to blend theory with practice.
Day one established a conceptual foundation for social justice in language education (SJLE), challenging traditional teaching methodologies. Participants then immediately applied these critical lenses in a hands-on textbook analysis session, learning to deconstruct teaching materials to uncover embedded cultural, gender, and socio-political biases.
Day two introduced the framework of intersectionality, exploring how factors like race, class, and gender overlap to shape student experiences. This theoretical understanding was directly channeled into the pedagogical practice of planning an inclusive lesson. Through collaborative activities, pre-service teachers worked together to design innovative lesson plans that actively address social justice themes, moving from critique to creation.
The energetic engagement and reflective feedback from participants across all three locations underscore a powerful demand for these approaches in teacher education. These workshops are not an endpoint but a catalyst. The insights gathered are now being analysed to inform the next stages of our project: developing open-access pedagogical resources, advocating for policy review, and ultimately contributing to a more equitable and transformative global landscape for English language teaching.
“The workshop on social justice and feminist pedagogies was truly transformative for me. What I found most beneficial were the interactive discussions and sharing of personal experiences, which created a safe and inclusive space for all participants. It made me realise the importance of incorporating diverse perspectives and challenging dominant narratives in my teaching practices. The discussions helped me understand how to acknowledge and address the multiple forms of oppression that students may face. I gained practical strategies for fostering a sense of belonging and promoting social justice within my teaching environment.” — Participant (Pakistan)
“I can say that the most beneficial thing for me was actually increasing my awareness. Throughout this process, thanks to our discussions, I realised that I sometimes fail to notice concepts like inequality and (in)justice, even though they happen right in front of us in daily life. Naturally, as my awareness grows, I believe that both my everyday behavior and my future professional conduct will be positively influenced. Therefore, I can say that the most valuable and fundamental contribution of this workshop to me has been the development of my awareness regarding the concepts we have discussed.” — Participant (Türkiye)
“I found the introduction to social justice and feminist pedagogies particularly beneficial, as it helped clarify these concepts and their significance in education. What I appreciated most was how the workshop didn’t just present theories but also used real examples from teaching materials to show their relevance to real-world contexts. In addition, the speakers shared a lot of experiences, allowing me to see how critical thinking is applied in practical teaching by language educators.” — Participant (UK)
Share: