This study employed design-based research to explore the efficacy of professional learning materials and approaches in developing social justice advocacy with rural elementary teachers in Appalachia. Bronfenbrenner's (2005) bioecological theory and Boler's (1999) pedagogy of discomfort formed the theoretical framework for the design, implementation, and analysis. Mid-way through the study, Allport's (1954) contact hypothesis was included to inform the revision of intervention approaches. Four elementary teachers attended seven in-person informational discussion meetings over five months. During this time, these teachers also read two books and completed journal responses and surveys. The qualitative data was analyzed using Braun and Clark's (2006) thematic analysis using a codebook created from the theoretical frameworks. The findings revealed several aspects of participants' socialization and context that promoted or hindered their social justice advocacy development. One aspect of design-based research is evaluating the efficacy of interventions in situ. The results of this program evaluation provided many insights into best practices for designing and implementing professional learning in rural contexts with elementary teachers. The implications could foster more opportunities for educating elementary teachers on these topics so they can better support students from historically marginalized backgrounds. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]