Mentoring and Coaching as Pathways to Social Justice in Education

Introduction

In a social and political climate where social justice educators and scholars must constantly resist challenges to their curriculum and research, this special issue seeks empirical and theoretical articles that address mentoring and coaching as and for social justice leadership in PreK-12 and higher education spaces. The special issue will expand the literature on social justice mentoring and coaching by providing practical and applicable insights for mentors/coaches and their mentees. As guest editors, we ask authors to envision other scholars hoping to do this work as their audience members. 

Through this special issue, we intend to consider topics such as: How do we mentor and coach the next generation of scholars and practitioners to continue the fight for social justice in PreK-12 and higher education spaces? How does geographic context play into social justice mentoring and coaching? What does social justice mentoring and coaching look like across the globe considering the various socio-political factors that shape education? As another wave of reform builds in school systems, how do we encourage more scholars to use their research to amplify the voices of the marginalized? How do we recruit more scholars to be thought leaders in PreK-12 school systems and higher education reform?

Effective mentors and coaches shepherd mentees into academia with the message, “Come right on in. You’re going to do great things here. I’ll walk with you.” They share with their mentees how to navigate academia since it is often a hostile space for minoritized practitioners and scholars. They guide mentees on how to use their unique voices to challenge the dominant body of knowledge, and they increase social justice advocates’ awareness of self-care practices to sustain self and the work. Simultaneously and importantly, mentees teach their mentors as they walk together.

With the education sector facing renewed challenges to social justice practice, research, and theory, mentors and coaches in this space support the next generation of social justice leaders. This special issue offers guidance for mentors/coaches and mentees as they walk their unique journeys together. Mentorship and coaching look different for every mentee-mentor/coach partnership. Mentorship and coaching also looks different from the perspectives of mentees and mentors/coaches. This special issue will offer both.

While we invite solo authors, we also hope some of the articles in this special issue will serve as mentoring/coaching opportunities and, as such, invite mentees to write with their mentors and coaches.  

List of topic areas

We seek submissions that explore, but are not limited to, questions such as:

• How is your mentoring/coaching partnership an enactment of social justice for PreK-12 and/or higher education leadership?
• How are social justice values and practices modeled in your partnership?
• How does  your mentoring/coaching partnership address the personal and professional challenges of social justice leadership?
• How does your mentoring/coaching partnership address the self-care and well-being of the social justice leader?
• What theories or mentorship/coaching philosophies guide your partnership?
• What are the metrics or assessments for determining if one is prepared to be a mentor/coach (to anyone) in social justice work? Who determines the metrics for inclusion and equitable mentoring/coaching experiences?
• What does your partnership look like concerning freedom, power, reciprocity, and collaboration?
• How do you navigate power dynamics in your mentoring/coaching partnership?
• How do you, as partners, define and prioritize scholarly activities you believe are essential for social justice work

Submissions Information

Authors can send their 3-5 page abstracts to Lead Guest Editor, Lok-Sze Wong ([email protected]). Please include the subject line "IJMCE Social Justice Special Issue".

Submissions are made using ScholarOne Manuscripts. Registration and access are available here.

Author guidelines must be strictly followed.

Authors should select (from the drop-down menu) the special issue title at the appropriate step in the submission process, i.e. in response to "Please select the issue you are submitting to". 

Submitted articles must not have been previously published, nor should they be under consideration for publication anywhere else, while under review for this journal.

Click here to submit!

Key deadlines

Closing date for manuscripts submission: 1st July, 2025

Email for submissions: [email protected]