Against the backdrop of equity-sensitive approaches within education policy and practice, inequalities in student attainment remain a persistent problem; in response, this book advances the concept of social justice dispositions (SJDs), offering a new perspective by shifting the focus to what operates between the values and beliefs of policy makers and educators, and the actual everyday practice evident within classrooms.

In this intermediary space between belief and practice, this book conceives of social justice dispositions being one part of a larger collection of dispositions that constitute one’s habitus, drawing from the work of French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu. Bringing this together with methodological insights from cultural-historical activity theory, the authors seek to identify a spectrum of social justice dispositions that influence the pedagogic work of schooling – dispositions evident in both the pedagogic authority of school leadership, and which intersect with the pedagogic action of classroom teachers.

The book contributes new lines of inquiry, conceptual tools, and novel methodological approaches to advance social justice research and outcomes in education. As such, it is essential reading for academics, scholars, and postgraduate researchers working in the space of critical research and sociology of education.

Trevor Gale is Emeritus Professor of the Academy of Social Sciences, UK, a critical sociologist of education, focused on the reproduction of inequalities through education, and immediate past editor-in-chief of Critical Studies in Education.

Russell Cross is Professor of Education at the University of Melbourne, Australia, specialises in Vygotskian sociocultural accounts of teachers’ professional knowledge, practical expertise, and professional learning and development.

Carmen Mills is Associate Professor of sociology of education at The University of Queensland, Australia. Drawing on Bourdieu, her research focuses on equity and social justice in education.