Educators Making Policy-Practice Connections: Policy Iterations for Equity and Social Justice Education Provision

The term social justice has become increasingly prominent in educational discourse, policy, and practice, serving as a central concept in discussions about the purpose and nature of schooling. It is widely acknowledged by politicians, policymakers, and practitioners as an essential educational goal and theoretical framework. However, the term is often used vaguely, without addressing its complex social, cultural, economic, and political dimensions. Moreover, a significant shortcoming in the literature is the lack of say from those non-Anglophone nations not considered as geopolitically dominant, leading to a reconsideration of educational systems in transitional and previously under-represented areas. This empirical article presents findings from a survey distributed to teachers and headteachers working in state schools in Greater Accra, one of Ghana’s sixteen regions, forming part of a larger project exploring how education policies are tacking equity and social justice challenges in Ghanaian compulsory public education. The survey data provided relevant insights about the relevance of policy documents to education practitioners, leading to the identification of specific challenges faced in the policy-to-practice trajectory as these policy priorities are implemented, with particular implications for theory, policy, and practice relevant to other geopolitical contexts outside Western Africa.