Mindsets matter for equitable discipline: Aligning beliefs to practice among middle grade educators

Abstract Restorative Justice Practices (RJP) offer a positive approach to discipline while also providing middle school students opportunities to develop social-emotional skills (conflict resolution and self-management). RJP contrasts sharply with traditional, punitive, zero-tolerance discipline models which perpetuate systemic inequity in schools, especially for students of color. When considering the impact of RJP on young adolescents, teachers’ underlying beliefs about student discipline warrant examination. Because beliefs ultimately lead to practice, identifying teachers’ beliefs (mind-sets) about discipline practices are necessary in implementing change, particularly in responding to negative student behaviors. In the present study, we examined the discipline mind-sets among teachers of a public middle school implementing RJP in the Southeast United States. Results indicate that even with the intentional school-wide implementation of RJP, teachers’ mind-sets of these practices did not show significant change, and in some cases, aligned less with restorative justice ideology.