"We've left out a person": teachers' experiences of the implementation of restorative practices, an interpretative phenomenological analysis

Abstract

As restorative justice practices become more prevalent in schools, implementation precedes research-based considerations of the underlying restorative philosophy, leading to a wide range of understanding and effecting sustainable implementation. This study examined the problem of adequate teacher preparation for the implementation and support of a restorative justice initiative interrupted by the global COVID-19 pandemic in one ethnically diverse urban middle school in the Northeastern United States. Gloria Ladson-Billings' culturally relevant pedagogy provided the framework to explore how teachers made sense of restorative practices through their concepts of 1) themselves and others, 2) social relationships, and 3) the construction of knowledge. The overarching question that framed the study was, "How do teachers in one ethnically diverse urban middle school in the Northeastern United States experience and perceive implementing and supporting restorative justice initiatives?" The study employed a qualitative Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to explore seven teachers' experiences of the initiation and implementation of restorative practices. Data analysis revealed four themes: perceptions of restorative and exclusionary practices, cultural awareness and perceptions of relationships, experiences of initiation and implementation of restorative practices, and building capacity to support restorative practices. Recommendations for practice include offering participatory, culturally informed teacher training prior to implementation, ongoing professional development, and fostering a schoolwide restorative culture. Recommendations for future research include exploration of student and caregiver perceptions of restorative practices and investigation of adult beliefs of restorative practices through the lens of adult development.