Exploring the perception teachers of ethnic minority students have of social justice and equity in education, and its effects on their teaching

This study explores the perception teachers of ethnic minority students have of social justice and equity in education and its effects on their teaching, in the context of Hong Kong.
Ethnic minority students’ parents have cited a number of problems flooding their children’s lives (Pike 2015). The problems range from having inadequate opportunities of learning spoken Cantonese to not feeling they are supported. It utilizes qualitative method to explore the following research questions; 1) How do teachers of ethnic minority students view social justice and educational equity in teaching?, 2) Do these teachers make a conscious effort to incorporate social justice and equity in their teaching? If yes, how so?, and 3) To what extent does the presence of social justice and equity in teachers’ minds (or lack thereof) affect their practice of teaching and the classroom environment?
Interviews and lesson observations were used as the research instruments. It was found that there is indeed a strong correlation between teachers’ perception of equity in education and their practice of teaching. It was also found that the teachers have varying viewpoints on equity in education, with reference to their personal experience and their cultural background.