Towards A Theory of Epistemic Justice Thinking: A Critical Interpretative Synthesis

Preprint of: Towards A Theory of Epistemic Justice Thinking: A Critical Interpretative SynthesisAbstractIn this article I review intersections of epistemic cognition (thinking about knowledge and knowing) and justice concerns. Educational psychologists have researched epistemic cognition for over 50 years. I draw on philosophical work in epistemic (in)justice, regarding the distinctively epistemic harms that one may experience as a knower. I highlight the ways that epistemic (in)justice theory might inform an elaboration of established extant epistemic cognition frameworks. I provide a descriptive theory of epistemic justice thinking, that can act as an elaboration of existing epistemic cognition frameworks. This theory offers a novel construct for educational psychology, providing conceptual resource to better understand and investigate epistemic justice in the field. I use a Critical Interpretive Synthesis (CIS) method to develop novel insights and theory, addressing the open research question “How can epistemic cognition theory draw on epistemic justice theory?”. Searches were conducted of both the philosophical literature regarding epistemic (in)justice and its uptake in education, and the education literature regarding epistemic cognition, particularly with respect to justice concerns. Over the trajectory of research relating to epistemic cognition, ethical or moral reasoning have held varying degrees of focus as components of epistemic cognition. Epistemic justice literature, arising in philosophy literature relating to epistemology, provides conceptual resource to expand understanding of distinctively epistemic features of justice. The article provides a model of the conceptual space represented by this literature, and emerging theory of epistemic justice thinking, with implications for research and practice.HighlightsLinks between epistemic and ethical reasoning vary across frameworksEpistemic justice provides a philosophical framework connecting justice-knowledgeA range of related concepts have emerged across literatures of relevanceNovel theory of epistemic justice thinking is developed via integrative synthesisEpistemic justice thinking framework has implications for research and practiceList of supplementsSupplement 1: Searches conductedSupplement 2: Data filesSupplement 3: Data processing detailSupplement 4: Checklist for Reporting of Critical Interpretative SynthesisSupplement 5: Collation of Theory Synthesis DiagramsSupplement 6: Figures in Main ManuscriptSupplement 7: Sample preliminary extraction of epistemic justice reference in literature drawing on the AIR model of epistemic cognitionSupplement 8: References in Supplements.Supplementary Figure 1: Conceptual Overview of Models of Epistemic CognitionSupplementary Figure 2: Visual overview of justice conceptualisations and their varied emphasesSupplementary Figure 3: Criteria for controversial issuesSupplementary Figure 4: Detailed Mapping of Pedagogic Approaches for Controversial IssuesSupplementary Figure 5: Visual representation of the 3R-EC (epistemic cognition) model of epistemic reflexivity (Lunn Brownlee et al., 2017)Supplementary Figure 6: Teaching contested and socioscientific issuesSupplementary Figure 7: McCaw Post Truth Key aims, criteria, and reliable processes in educator responses to post-truth conditions, drawn from McCaw et al., (2023)Extended Structured AbstractBackground and rationale: Epistemic cognition – thinking about knowledge and knowing – is a construct of long standing interest in education research, associated with abilities to navigate the kind of information of varying quality, perspective, and relevance, that one is exposed to in everyday life across a range of complex contexts. Many of these contexts are likely to implicate justice concerns. For example, knowledge and justice concerns intersect in discourse regarding democratic participation (and lack thereof) and in socioscientific decisions including those regarding climate mitigation. The epistemic cognition – or epistemological beliefs – literature has recognised these relationships. However, recent work in philosophy may provide rich conceptual resource through the analysis of epistemic injustice, which regards the distinctively epistemic harms that one may experience as a knower.Method: The paper adopts an integrative approach to develop a theory of epistemic justice thinking that draws on literature in epistemic cognition and epistemic injustice, addressing the open research question “How can epistemic cognition theory draw on epistemic justice theory?” through analysis of relevant literature across fields. To do this, we adopt the Critical Interpretive Synthesis (CIS) approach (Dixon-Woods et al., 2006), which takes an interpretative, rather than aggregative, approach to evidence synthesis as a method to develop novel insights and theory (Cronin & George, 2023; Turner et al., 2017) (Dixon-Woods et al., 2006).Data: Broad literature searches were conducted of both the philosophical literature regarding epistemic (in)justice (and its uptake in education), and the education literature regarding epistemic cognition, particularly with respect to justice concerns (n = 661 distinct items identified via search and purposive sampling, n = 447 fulltext reviewed, and n = 155 included). This approach reflects the iterative and emergent nature of search and data extraction, while seeking to document this process as it develops.Findings: In the fifty year trajectory of research on epistemic cognition there have been a number of touchpoints with issues of justice and ethics, with respect to the contributions of epistemic cognition to ethical reasoning, of exposure to ethical dilemmas as a mechanism for developing epistemic cognition, and the role of epistemic cognition in tackling a range of justice concerns including as active citizens and educators. However, no evidence synthesis of these intersections had been developed, with gaps in the conceptual resource drawn on particularly in light of recent work in philosophy. The paper provides a model of the conceptual space represented by this literature, alongside a novel theory of epistemic justice thinking, with implications for research and practice.