On legal literacy and mobilization of students’ rights from a disempowered professional status: The case of Israeli teachers

The study examined Israeli teachers’ knowledge and perceptions of student's rights, and their reports on their actions in rights-related cases. Semi-structured interviews with teachers revealed that although teachers encounter frequent legal questions, most of them were only minimally knowledgeable, expressed reluctance to seek out information, and perceived themselves as lacking the capacity to do so. Moreover, due to legal myths that purportedly limit teachers’ autonomy, teachers reported feeling helpless and acknowledged violating rules that in actuality do not exist. The conclusions discuss the interface of legal literacy, Israeli teachers’ low social status, and their perceptions of teachers’ professionalism.