Sparking Epistemic Friction

This study examines the challenges faced by Maya, an English language arts teacher, as she implements a social justice–focused curricular reform. Specifically, it explores how Maya strategically embedded social justice themes within a mandatory poetry unit, using the ambiguous language of her school’s mission statement to advocate for LGBTQ+ inclusion. Through narrative analysis, this study illustrates how Maya exercised agency in navigating institutional resistance, supported by an ecology of communal networks. Her efforts exemplify Pollock et al.’s (2022) framework of strategic backup and prompt consideration of Medina’s (2013) concept of epistemic friction as a complementary form of support. Maya’s narrative underscores the importance of contextual dynamics in fostering teacher agency, highlighting the role of epistemic friction and strategic support in advancing social justice within educational settings.