Critical
Pedagogy
Prepared by
SABARISH-P
M.Sc., M.Ed.,
JRF & NET
Lecturer in
Physical Science, Arafa Institute for Teacher Education
Attur, Thrissur.
Critical
pedagogy is an educational approach proposed by Paulo Friere for developing
critical consciousness or critical awareness in the learner. Critical consciousness is ability to
critically perceive the causes of social, political and economic oppression and
to take action against the oppressive elements of society.
Critical pedagogy enables student to
question and challenge domination, the beliefs and practices that dominate.
Critical pedagogy is defined as an
education methodology that seeks to increase student awareness of the hidden
curriculum’s inequalities and multiple form of oppression that exist in the
society, and encourage them to take step towards creating a more democratic and
equitable society.
The aim of Freir’s critical
pedagogy is to restore to marginalized groups their stolen ‘voice’, to enable
them recognize identify, and give their name the things in the world.
Characteristics
of critical pedagogy
1.
Critical pedagogy is based on the presumption that all education is pedagogy
2.
It provides the learner with tools to better themselves and define the world .
3.
Its approach is issue based or problem based .
4.
It provides the learner with the tools to analyze critically how and on whose
benefit the knowledge is constructed .
5.
Critical pedagogy transforms the learner from objects to subjects.
6.
It aims to create a more egalitarian and just society.
7.
It transforms the learner from the role of passive listener to active
participants.
8.
Critical pedagogy argues for an approach to education that is rooted in the
experiences of marginalized peoples.
9.
It is focused on dialogue instead of a one-way transmission of knowledge.
10.
It envisages a transformed world, i.e., a more democratic, more just and more
egalitarian world.
11.
Critical pedagogy needs to create new forms of knowledge through its emphasis
on breaking down disciplinary boundaries and creating new spaces where
knowledge can be produced
Banking system
of education
The term ‘banking
system education’ is a phrase used ironically by Paulo Freire to describe the
prevailing system of education, He
called the traditional system of education as ‘banking education‘ because in
this system teachers make deposits of information and knowledge into the empty
accounts of students, in a similar manner one operates a bank account. The traditional education, as conceived by
Friere, is an act of depositing, in which the students are the depositories and
the teacher is the depositor. In this
system of education, the teacher lectures, and the students receive, memorize,
and repeat.
Characteristics
of Banking Education
1. The teacher teaches and the students are
taught.
2. The teacher knows everything and the students
know nothing.
3. The teacher thinks and the students are
thought about.
4. The teacher talks and the students
listen-meekly.
5. The teacher disciplines and the students are
disciplines.
6. The teacher chooses and enforces his choice,
and the students comply.
7. The teacher chooses the program content, and
the students adapt to it.
8. The teacher chooses the program content, and
the students adapt to it.
9. The teacher confuses the authority of
knowledge with his own professional authority, which he sets in opposition to
the freedom of the students.
10. The teacher is the subject of the learning
process, while the pupils are mere objects.
Problem posing
education (PPE) / Dialogical Method
Problem-posing is an alternative method of
education suggested by Paulo Friere instead of the existing authoritarian and
oppressing banking education. It is
based on the principal that a student learns better when he creates knowledge
and when knowledge is created for him.
The term problem posing is used because in this type of education the
whole learning is driven by a problem that pop up from the life situation of
the learners. On the other hand, in
problem posing education, learning always begins from a problem thrown up in
the classroom. The problem is posed so
that the students discover that they need to learn some new knowledge before
they can solve the problem. The responsibility
of the teacher is to diversify subject matter and to use students’ thought and
speech as the base for developing critical understanding of personal
experience, unequal conditions in society, and existing knowledge.
Characteristics
of Problem Posing education
1. Problem-posing education encourages students
to become active in thinking about and acting upon their world.
2. It involves co-creation of knowledge in which
the teacher and students learn together.
3. Dialogue
is the method of problem-posing learning.
4. Problem posing method opens doors to
critically analyze the hidden curriculum.
5. The teacher just acts as a mediator and
organizer, and barely comes up with any ideas.
6. Encourages the students to think critically.
7. It ensures egalitarian teacher-student
relations.
8. Problem posing ignites praxis and leads to
action.
9. In the problem-posing method teachers and
students learn together through dialogue.
10. This method starts from the life situation
and reality of learners.
Conscientization
Friere’s pedagogy aims to cultivate conscientization or critical
consciousness (critical awareness) in the learner. Conscientization is the ability to critically
perceive the causes of social, political and economic oppression and to take
action against the oppressive elements of society. It is a state of in-depth understanding about
the world and resulting freedom from oppression.
Praxis
Praxis
means a synthesis of reflection and action (theory and practice) in the
learning process. Praxis means the use of a theory in a practical way. Friere considered praxis (informed action) as
the goal of problem-posing education. He
defined praxis as reflection and action upon the world in order to transform
it. It is a complex activity by which
individuals create culture and society, and become critically conscious human
beings. It involves development of
critical consciousness combine with social action.
