In “Pedagogical Pivoting, Emergent Curriculum, and Knowledge Production—But Just Don’t Call It Social Justice,” Brian D. Schultz and Stephanie Pearson of Miami University trace one elementary teacher’s bold shift from rote instruction to inquiry-based, student-driven learning. The study reveals how a third-grade classroom transformed when students’ own questions and concerns—not prepackaged lessons—became the foundation of teaching and learning.

This “pedagogical pivot” illustrates the power of emergent curriculum, an approach where topics arise from students’ interests and lived experiences. As students investigated real-world issues like bullying, pollution, and discrimination, they moved beyond knowledge acquisition (memorizing facts) toward knowledge production—researching, problem-solving, and presenting ideas that mattered to them. The research also explores the teacher’s struggle to embrace this justice-oriented pedagogy amid the pressures of testing and fears of being labeled “political.”

By reframing pedagogy as a shared process of meaning-making, Schultz and Pearson show why inquiry-based learning is essential for authentic knowledge growth and democratic education. Their work underscores how classrooms can be spaces where children learn not just skills, but also agency and empathy.

Faculty authors: Brian D. Schultz and Stephanie Pearson, Miami University
Keywords: inquiry-based learning, emergent curriculum, knowledge acquisition, social justice teaching, pedagogy meaning, democratic education
Publication details: Journal of Curriculum Theorizing, Vol. 36, No. 1 (2021). Read the full article