Importance of Restorative Practices in Promoting Equity in the Classroom

Introduction

Ensuring equity and providing learners with equal opportunities in the classroom has become a major concern in recent years. In an attempt to facilitate this, restorative practices have emerged as a major approach to developing equitable learning environments in classrooms to give learners an opportunity to excel academically, emotionally, and socially. Notably, restorative practices include diverse strategies that can include community-building circles, effective statements, and setting classroom agreements or norms, among other practices. The use of restorative practices aims to build trust, repair harm, and foster a sense of belonging and understanding among educators and students. This paper will explore the role of restorative practices in promoting equity in the classroom. Exploring this topic will provide insights into the defects and the areas of improvement that need to be adopted to enhance the effectiveness of the approach.

Review of Literature

This paper examines the importance of restorative practices in promoting equity in the classroom. A review of the literature on this topic showed that the use of restorative practices advances educational equity by ensuring equity in school discipline and strengthening relationships and connections between individuals.

Ensuring School Discipline

A study by Glenn, Barrett, and Lightfoot (2021) explored the effects of the implementation of restorative practices in the discipline of New Orleans School using a mixed-methods analysis, including quasi-experiments. The study showed that schools are bound to vary significantly in regard to implementation intensity. The findings of the study showed that the use of restorative practices in schools reduces exclusionary discipline and prevents misbehavior among students. Through practice, educators can work with the students to restore relationships whenever harm is done rather than punishing students, an aspect that can improve equitable relationships.

Also, a study by Mansfield, Fowler, and Rainbolt (2018) aimed to explore the impact of restorative practices on ameliorating discipline gaps. The study utilized a qualitative approach to identify the perceptions of the students, administrators, and educators on the impact of the implementation of the practices. According to the study, the discipline gaps in terms of race/ethnicity, gender, and special education status have significantly declined in the past five years. The findings of the study showed that the implementation of restorative justice was significantly responsible for the decline in discipline gaps.

The exploration of the topic is further shown by Gregory, Huang, and Ward-Seidel (2021), who explored the impact of the use of restorative practices in schools as a means of reducing exclusionary disciplines and the disproportionate sanctioning of students with disabilities and black students. The study utilized a cluster randomized control experimental design in which 18 schools were used. The study’s findings showed that, with the use of restorative practices in schools, there was a significant reduction in behavioral issues among the students. However, the study did not establish any differences in the interventions based on gender, race, or disability status.

Strengthening Relationships and Connections between Individuals.

The impact of restorative practices in fostering good relationships and connections has been explored in several studies. Gregory, Clawson, Davis, and Gerewitz (2016) examined the experiences of students in the classroom following the implantation of restorative practices. Here, the authors researched two high schools on the U.S. East Coast using a quantitative approach whereby variables were identified and compared using statistical methods. The findings of the study showed that teachers who frequently implemented restorative practices mostly had better relationships with students than those who opted for punitive practices. The adoption of restorative practices was also found to significantly reduce racial gaps and lower defiance and disruptions.

Besides, a study by Darling-Hammond (2023) explored the impact of restorative practices on fostering a sense of belonging and transforming schools by bridging racial disparities, deepening academic engagement, and improving school climate. The study used a quantitative approach whereby different moderators were used, and the various aspects were measured using statistical methods. The findings of the study showed that the implementation of restorative practices reduced discipline gaps among the students, thereby fostering good relationships. School safety, well-being, and overall performance were also significantly improved with the implementation of restorative practices.

This literature review section shows that the implementation of restorative practices in schools can have great impacts on the promotion of equity in the classroom. The reviewed literature shows that the use of restorative practices improves the behavior of the students as compared to the punishment approach, which tends to make the students even more misbehaving. Through restorative practices, the relationships between teachers and students can also be significantly improved, with teachers who opt for restorative practices exhibiting a positive perception and relationship with the students. Some studies also showed that the adoption of the approach also had the capacity to bridge social and racial gaps, thus fostering equity in schools.

Implications for Diverse Populations

Restorative practices have broad implications for diverse populations. In most cases, the use of restorative practices offers a more culturally responsive approach that can be utilized for effective resolution of conflicts and community building. As such, the approach creates a more inclusive environment where students from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds interact with respect and understanding, an attribute that fosters peaceful coexistence among communities (Kligman, 2019). The impact of economic diversity on the success of students and their behavior is also controlled through the adoption of restorative justice, whereby the students build relationships and a sense of belonging in a more efficient and easy manner. The use of alternative punitive measures under restorative practices can significantly affect learners from low social and economic backgrounds, thereby ensuring their learning process is supported and enhanced to achieve excellence.

Implications for Technology

In restorative practices, the use of technology can be essential in enhancing communication and engagement within the restorative circles and in conversations. The use of technology will ensure that students and educators can easily share their perspectives with each other and actively engage in virtual discussions with each other. Communication and collaboration are essential for ensuring the effectiveness of restorative practices, hence, technology devices are essential in fostering expression. Besides, communication apps such as messaging platforms ensure that there is communication between the teachers, families, and students to facilitate real-time updates and problem-solving by giving the participants space to express themselves. Educators can also use apps to track and analyze data on the discipline and behavior of the students, as well as the possible restorative interventions to be used.

Conclusion

The adoption of restorative practices has emerged as a new way of ensuring behavioral reforms in schools. However, the implication of the restorative practices extends past schools and affects the societal perceptions of the economy and relationship with each other. The reviewed literature showed that the use of restorative practices advances educational equity by ensuring equity in school discipline and strengthening relationships and connections between individuals. Through this, restorative practices are identified as an effective and essential approach that, when adopted in schools, can enhance equity among students by reforming their behavior, bridging the cultural and racial gaps, and facilitating communication and collaboration in school settings.

References

Darling-Hammond, S. (2023). Fostering Belonging, Transforming Schools: The Impact of Restorative Practices. Learning Policy Institute.

Glenn, B., Barrett, N., & Lightfoot, E. (2020). The effects and implementation of restorative practices for discipline in New Orleans schools. Education Resource Alliance.

Gregory, A., Clawson, K., Davis, A., & Gerewitz, J. (2016). The promise of restorative practices to transform teacher-student relationships and achieve equity in school discipline. Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, 26(4), 325-353.

Gregory, A., Huang, F. L., & Ward-Seidel, A. R. (2021). Evaluation of the Whole School Restorative Practices Project: One-Year Implementation and Impact on Discipline Incidents. Grantee Submission.

Kligman, L. (2019). Engaging in difference using restorative practices. Penumbra, 6, 14-27.

Mansfield, K. C., Fowler, B., & Rainbolt, S. (2018). The potential of restorative practices to ameliorate discipline gaps: The story of one high school’s leadership team. Educational Administration Quarterly, 54(2), 303-323.