Analysis and Review of Critical Theory in the Curriculum

Crooks (2010) has elucidated that Critical Pedagogy (CP) is more likely to be dismissed when it may be perceived as culturally inappropriate. Hence, this paper aims to unpack the possible applicability of implementing tenets of critical pedagogy in the context of Saudi Arabia. The article explores the potentiality of CP among higher education English language teachers in Saudi Arabia; the populations of this mixed method (i.e., survey and interviews) study are teachers who teach at colleges of language and translation and departments of English and literary studies at two Saudi universities. Findings indicate that the participants' perspectives on CP showcase their ideational stance towards their own pedagogical orientations, which included: high awareness of CP principles, tactically using CP in some classroom scenarios, at the micro-level, and sometimes rejecting the application of such a tool due to its serious consequences. The paper thus implicates that applying CP in Saudi Arabia can foster the concept of teaching as a 'value,' (Crookes, 2021) which sustains the globalized collective waves of emancipatory education.

Journal of Philosophy of Education, 2004

This paper starts from a brief sketch of the 'classical' figure of critical educational theory or science (Kritische Erziehungswissenshaft). 'Critical educational theory' presents itself as the privileged guardian of the critical principle of education (Bildung) and its emancipatory promise. It involves the possibility of saying 'I' in order to speak and think in one's own name, to be critical, selfreflective and independent, to determine dependence from the present power relations and existing social order. Actual social and educational reality and relations are approached as a limitation, threat, alienation, re/oppression or negation of ultimate human principles or potential. The task of critical educational theory becomes one of enabling an autonomous, critical, self-reflective life. While 'critique' and 'autonomy' have meanwhile become commonplace, and 'critique' and 'autonomy' are reclaimed and required from everybody, we should also consider the question of the relation between an institutional or ideological framework as that which claims to question this frame and to constitute its opposite. The trivialisation of critique is taken as occasion to recall Michel Foucault's analysis of power relations and especially his thesis according to which the 'government of individualisation' is the actual figure of power. Starting from the framework offered by Foucault, it can be made clear that the autonomous, critical, self-reflective life does not represent an ultimate principle but refers to a very specific form of subjectification operating as a transmission belt for power. The autonomous, critical, self-reflective person appears as an historical model of self-conduct whereby power operates precisely through the intensification of reflectiveness and critique rather than through their repression, alienation or negation. This brings us back then to the question of how to conceive of the task of a critical educational theory at a time in which critique, autonomy and self-determination have become an essential modus operandi of the existing order.

This paper concerns the personal evaluation of the characteristics of critical pedagogy. This system of teaching demands changes in the curriculum. The characteristics of this method of teaching are different from the Banking Education system. In many developed countries, this method is successfully practiced in the classroom. But developing countries like Bangladesh are still fully not able to practice this method in all educational settings. In Bangladesh, modernist and postmodernist methods are prevailing side by side in the curriculum. There are several facts because of which the characteristics of critical pedagogy are not followed or practiced by all educational institutions here. The facts are the existing political and religious irregularities, lack of self-consciousness among teachers, lack of teachers training, lack of inclusion of problem imposing materials in the curriculum, etc. Based on some findings, a personal evaluation has been written in this paper.

2020

This extensive Handbook will bring together different aspects of critical pedagogy with the aim of opening up a clear international conversation on the subject, as well as pushing the boundaries of current understanding by extending the notion of a pedagogy to multiple pedagogies and perspectives. Bringing together a group of contributing authors from around the globe, the chapters will provide a unique approach and insight to the discipline by crossing a range of disciplines and articulating both philosophical and social common themes. The chapters will be organised across three volumes and twelve core thematic sections. The SAGE Handbook of Critical Pedagogies is planned to be an essential benchmark publication for advanced students, researchers and practitioners across a wide range of disciplines including education, health, sociology, anthropology and development studies.

2014

Critical pedagogy is a transformation-based approach to education. The aim of this article is to introduce the origin, vision, action and consequences of critical pedagogy. It also aims on finding ...

This is an unpublished draft.

Abstract Critical pedagogy is a transformation-based approach to education. The aim of this article is to introduce the origin, vision, action and consequences of critical pedagogy. It also aims on finding out about educators’ possibility of actualising it in their practice. As a source materials articles, book chapters and books are used. The literature shows that critical pedagogy has its origin in the tradition of critical theory of the Frankfurt School and the work of the Brazilian pedagog Paulo Freire. According to the literature, its major theses is that education should go beyond transfer of knowledge and training the future labour force; to help developing critical consciousness, which leads to transformation of the individual, learning environment and society at large. Critical pedagogy is criticised for a focus on macro level system, for not having a model for classroom implementation and for being abstract. Despite some critics, I argue that critical pedagogy has still the potential to empower those in the field of education to increase their consciousness about the injustice in their society and to involve in transforming it. Keywords: Critical pedagogy, critical thinking, critical theory, dialogue, Frankfurt School, transformation.

2013

The relationship of critical theory of education to the practitioners it purports to enlighten, empower and emancipate is a contentious issue. This can partially be attributed to the fact that there is little empirical evidence in education, particularly of a longitudinal nature, that supports the claims of practically transformative benefits for teachers and students provided by the critical perspective or its methods. This longitudinal study provides an interim report on the relationship of critical curriculum theorising, praxis intentionality and subsequent workplace actions. Two individualised and contrasting case studies of primary school teachers are reported. Of particular interest is the tribulations both women teachers experienced in reflexively inquiring into a troubling curriculum initiative and then acting upon a critical diagnosis to 'redeeem' certain troubling elements of the initiative. Introduction According to Wilf Carr (1995a, p. 36) reducing the gap betwee...

Critical pedagogy with the aim of theorizing practice and practicing theory has proved itself to be of great value; but the application of critical pedagogy is an issue which has to be handled and scrutinized with meticulous care. Throughout the present paper, first a definition of critical pedagogy with its theoretical underpinnings is given. Afterwards, the application of critical pedagogy in classroom context and the ways through which critical pedagogy can be recognized in classroom context are brought into consideration. Some techniques of applying critical pedagogy in the classroom are also introduced. Finally, the present paper argues that how the selection of topics which are both socially and individually of great value and importance and also meaningful to students can function as a strategy for the realization of critical pedagogy in the classroom context.

2014

To evaluate the role of reflection in the development of critical thinking, this chapter takes a cross-disciplinary approach. Criticality is rooted in the philosophical debate about subject-object notions of truth, reflected in a widening educational divide and impact on the reflective practice paradigm. Flaws in epistemology reveal the dilemma in approaches to verifying truth. The subject-object paradox is mirrored in competing models of reflection linked to the theory-practice divide. Questions of validity and context have polarised current thinking about the role of reflective practice in learning. The work throws light on issues impacting the scope of reflective activities in education and wider socio-political implications. The discourse supports embedding critically reflective practice through a reconciled, contextualised approach of reasoned reflection described as 'reflective rationalism'.