Teachers, administrators and gatekeepers of change: A case study of the implementation of restorative justice in one Ontario Public School

Abstract

This qualitative case study explores the implementation of restorative justice within one Ontario Public School. Restorative justice is a philosophy and a process for dealing with harmful behaviour, viewing such behaviour as a violation of relationships, not rules. My research seeks to present how restorative justice has been implemented in one school, situating this experience within the literature on educational reform. This research reaches beyond an examination of the effectiveness of restorative justice to an exploration of how teachers and administrators think and feel about, and actually employ, restorative justice practices. Findings suggest that while there exists personal commitment to the practice of restorative justice on the part of both teachers and administrators, if necessary structures and cultural systems are not in place, then it is difficult to sustain the restorative justice program. This study identifies the crucial factors needed to sustain a transformative reform such as restorative justice.