Book banning in U.S. K-12 classrooms
Teacher perceptions on the impact of book censorship on students
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21728292 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Amy Leshinsky (0009-0001-0842-0216, Curry College), Rachel McCormack (Roger Williams University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-02-17 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Policy Futures in Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1478-2103 • E-ISSN: 1478-2103 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/14782103251412468 |
| OpenAlex | W7130389981 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 37 |
This quantitative research study investigates U.S. K-12 teacher perceptions of book censorship using five ethical paradigms as a conceptual framework. This study surveys 276 educators throughout the United States from all geographic regions and academic disciplines. The findings indicate that (a) most K-12 educators believe the censorship of books jeopardizes students’ abilities to build and sustain strong, equitable communities at the local, national, and international level; (b) many K-12 educators believe the censorship of classroom books undermines their professional responsibilities as teachers; and (c) the majority of K-12 educators do not want school districts or politicians to censor classroom books; however, many educators are willing or compelled by law to accommodate parental requests for their own child especially in grades K-5. Results indicate that educators—regardless of geographic location and discipline—hold similar beliefs on book censorship
Academic freedom · Censorship · Higher education · Perception · Professional development · Teacher education · Education Discipline and Inequality · Educator Training and Historical Pedagogy · Library Science and Administration
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| Highly cited | No |
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