The Relationship between EFL Teachers’ Beliefs and Agency for Social Justice at Secondary Schools in Türkiye

The main purpose of this study was to investigate EFL teachers’ beliefs and agency for social justice in classes with marginalized groups of students. The secondary aim was to find out possible links among teachers' beliefs, agency and demographic information. In line with these objectives, the data was gathered from 110 EFL teachers working in rural areas in the Central Anatolian region of Türkiye. To collect the data, three instruments were utilized: a demographic questionnaire, Teach for Social Justice-Beliefs scale and Teacher Agency for Social Justice scale. Obtained data were analysed by SPSS software. The results of Statistical tests such as descriptive statistics, independent sample t-test, ANOVA and Pearson’s Correlation indicated that participants had lower beliefs and agency for social justice when compared to the literature. Moreover, it was found that some demographic factors affected teachers’ beliefs and agency. Finally, the results showed that there was a positive correlation between teachers’ beliefs and agency. This study is important in terms of providing a more holistic understanding of teachers’ beliefs and agency in multicultural classroom settings. Also, it might have important implications for teacher trainers by highlighting the need for more in-service or pre-service training to prepare EFL teachers pedagogically and emotionally for teaching in diverse teaching contexts.