Critical Pedagogy in Practice and Research syllabus

Running header: CRITICAL PEDAGOGY IN PRACTICE AND RESEARCH SYLLABUS

Critical Pedagogy in Practice and Research syllabus

Emely Medina-Rodriguez

Loyola University of Chicago

ELPS 430 001

Dr. Patrick Green

CRITICAL PEDAGOGY IN PRACTICE AND RESEARCH SYLLABUS

Critical Pedagogy in Practice and Research syllabus

Critical Pedagogy has its roots on Latin American scholars and theorist which I wanted to

integrate into this syllabus. My big dream for this course is that students can understand the

fundamentals of critical pedagogy in research and practice. I created this syllabus for 30 upper

level undergraduate students from a bilingual background. I decided to create the syllabus for

this group because I'm interested in become a professor of education for undergraduates students

in a Spanish speaking country where students are usually given readings both in English and in

Spanish. I chose upper division undergraduate teacher preparation students as the group I wanted

to target because these students will have more opportunity than most to use this knowledge in

their classrooms. Nevertheless I design the class to be open as an elective for anyone else,

specially students in social work, humanities or social sciences. Keeping in mind that these

students will be more in contact with communities and spaces where they can develop open

dialogue groups using critical pedagogy. In their future roles students can extrapolate their

learnings of the class to their leadership positions. Students will understand the importance and

usefulness of critical pedagogy for the transformation of institutions in society.

The class will meet twice a week for two session of one hour and half each week. This

course is formulated to be a live instruction class, it will also make use of online resources but

not exclusively. This course is divergent in nature so is expected that student learn the basic

concepts of culture, ideology, and oppression before exploring more deeply the topic of critical

pedagogy. Students are expected to invest time in practicing in a formal setting such as a

classroom, a community and in the creation of a research project. This course is intended for

students to acquire skills to create their own critical thinking exercises about any social justice

topic of their interest. Students will be presented with new techniques to develop their own


transformational learning experiences in practice, whether that be the classroom, the community

service or in a participatory action research project.

The status of most students at upper level undergraduate classes is of mostly full-time

students with part-time jobs, some of them might have their own families, but most are living

with their parents. The general requirement for this class is that students have the desire to open

up conversation about environmental injustices, racial, gender and income discrimination in their

work place or community. They should also be interested in learning about participatory action

research where they can explore and question some social justice assumptions by utilizing

critical pedagogy with their participants. The students' reasons for participating in my class

could run from simple curiosity about critical pedagogy to a genuine concern about gender, or

racial stereotypes, racial and sexual violence, environmental awareness, income inequality and/or

community development. Students’ prior experience and prior knowledge about critical

pedagogy can vary, given that the design of this syllabus respond to students desire to explore

topics on social justice. The general attitude students in this class should have is an interest in

developing critical pedagogy exercises and action research project. The learning styles of

students also can vary because the syllabus includes different opportunities for students

to understand the concepts, such as videos, reading and working individually and in groups.

My personal characteristics could be good for giving a class in this topic, nevertheless my

lack of experience in the classroom might affect my teaching status. My experience with critical

pedagogy was developed when creating dialogue groups in communities and specially in the

creation of participatory action research projects related to college access. My confidence in

giving this class lies in my understanding and practice of critical pedagogy in the community and

in research. My commitment to social justice has given me a true interest in this topic and its


usefulness in creating open dialogue spaces for people to explore and discuss social injustices in

a challenging but comfortable way. In general the instructor for this class should have experience

in participatory action research and practice using critical pedagogy in a community or

classroom setting. The instructor should be able to present a body of literature relevant to the

topic and be able to generate exercises modeling the pedagogy.

I design this class following Fink (2003) taxonomy of significant learning, creating an

integrated syllabus where activities and learning outcomes are interrelated. For example, for the

foundational knowledge learning goal, where the students will learn "particular data, concepts,

relationships and, perspectives" (p.36) on critical pedagogy I organized several resources in

general topics students must know before getting to the topic of critical pedagogy. For the

first six classes students will be exploring the concepts of culture, ideology, liberation and

oppression. These concepts are essential in understanding the purpose of critical pedagogy. I will

start this class by presenting students with a very accessible graphic book in Spanish named

Gramsci para principiantes (Gramsci for beginners) which develops the concept of culture with

a social justice perspective. This class will be followed by an in class discussion about what

Gramsci described as culture. For the purpose of developing foundational knowledge students

must also read an extract of Gramsci's prison notes about his concept of culture. Building

foundational knowledge is going to be an ongoing process in this class, where documentaries,

books and book chapters will be use to reinforce learning. To have a better understanding of how

much students are understanding these concepts I included the creation of artistic outputs from

the critical pedagogy exercises about each topic, such as poems, pictures, essays, or stories.

Students will have the opportunity to reflect about this new knowledge in a groups setting but


also in personal reflections about topics such as racism, sexism and classism, in a weekly journal

they will keep and must compile at the end of this course.

Students will be able to apply this new foundational knowledge in multiple settings. For

example, I have design this class for students to be integrated into in-class exercises created

based on critical pedagogy where students will be challenged to analyzed their lived experiences

using concepts such as sexist behavior, institutional racism and others. Students will also need

to reflect about these concepts by preparing a personal reflections where their describe their

social justice personal ethos using class readings in their personal journals. For this reflections

students must identify a social justice issue that relates to them or their community and analyze

this issue through the class readings and materials through the class. Fink (2003) describes

managing complex projects as the use of skills learned in class to "organize and coordinate

several tasks as part of one major project" (p. 39). For this class students must create two

projects for which they need to use several if not all the knowledge learned in class. The first

project will be a mid-term project where students need to create a workshop for their future

workplace or for their community. Students must design an open dialogue workshop where they

must choose a social justice issue to develop during the workshop. For the second project they

must apply the basics concepts of critical pedagogy to create a participatory action research

project for a social justice issue of their choice. Students will create a proposal which must

include a justification using class reading and a critical pedagogy exercises used for collecting

data for the research project.

Because critical pedagogy is concerned with transformational dialogue and actions

towards social justice, students will need to relate pedagogy and social justice in this class. Fink

(2003) recommends interdisciplinary learning which is useful in a class like this one (p. 42).


Intersectionality of social justice issues will be discussed in the classroom by presenting

concepts from different resources. For example, students will participate in a critical pedagogy

exercise about sexism in the media, where each group of students must identify sexist references

or behaviors in popular songs. This exercise will allow students to understand the concept of

culture and sexism at the same time, connecting culture (popular songs) with a social issue

(sexism). This exercise will also serve students as a learning community where they can relate

this new knowledge with their own lives. I chose the assignments for this course to integrate the

experiences of students in the classroom with their future roles in their community or their future

workplace. I also ask students to keep personal journals where the students are encourage to

reflect on how this new knowledge serves them to analyze their own context and social

positionality.

Integrating learning concepts and applying them in the real world, is important for this

class, but a topic such as critical pedagogy must also encourage students to see the world through

the eyes of others, specially others living in oppression. The students first assignment is design

for students to identify social issues in their lives, either in their community or workplace. The

readings I chose will be useful in describing the phenomena they selected. Understanding the

concepts of culture, ideology, sexism, classism and racism could deepen their understanding of

what they encounter in their lives. In participating and creating open dialogue spaces by using

the skills and knowledge critical pedagogy offers, students will be exposed to a multiplicity of

ideas coming from their peers or their communities. Critical pedagogy’s problem-posing

questions challenge students into critically analyzing their own ideas about the world as well as

others’ ideas that might be present in the media or society. I included several group activities in

class where students will be participating in critical discussion of social issues such as


stereotypes, community building and solidarity. Hopefully these discussions, activities,

assignments and reading will awake students curiosity about social justice, and how to build

dialogue spaces toward transforming social inequalities. I agree with Fink’s (2003) ideas about

caring and the human dimension in learning, students must develop a sense of responsibility

from the knowledge they acquire in this course.

The fundamental skill I want students to acquire from this class is critical thinking. This

is why I included assignments such as creating their own research proposal about a social justice

issue. This assignment is meant for students to critically question a social issue in specific

communities. For example, a student interested in sexism in her gym class, will be able to create

a sound methodological argument in why an action research model is important to understand

this phenomena and try to transform a social inequality such as being sexually harassed in gym

class. Unfortunately, giving the scope of this class, students will not take about their research

ideas, but will have a complete research proposal if they decide to further their study. Fink

(2003) brings me the idea that “knowledge has two dimensions, the theoretical and the

methodological” and the instructor must utilize both so that students can learn how to learn or

construct their own meaning out of the knowledge they learned in class (p. 53). This is exactly

what I want students of this course to take with them after this class, knowledge that will serve

them to understand the world, critically analyze it and have the skills to transform it.

This exercise has given me the chance to acknowledge my own knowledge about this

topic. I have been devoted in trying to build this syllabus so that students can develop a concern

with social issues and at the same time work towards transforming social inequalities. I used

Nilson (2010) as a guide to include in my syllabus structure and organization. But Fink (2003)

readings gave me the pedagogical methods and know-hows to facilitate learning for many


learning styles. I took into consideration students learning styles when constructing discussions

and assignments. Students in this class will have multiple opportunities to understand the

fundamental knowledge and to create new knowledge themselves. In my life as a student there

where vary few classes as the one I created for this course, hopefully in the future students will

have the opportunity to participate in this class, and me the opportunity to instruct it. My biggest

challenge in this assignment was to choose the materials I wanted to include into the syllabus.

Nevertheless, the feedback received in class allowed me to refine my ideas.


Critical Pedagogy in Practice and ResearchEmely [email protected] hours:Office number:

Upper level undergraduate students30 studentsBi-lingual speakers (English and Spanish)14 week of class (meeting twice a week for hour and half)

1. Learning goals:

I. Identify the concepts of culture, ideology, oppression and, liberation. II. Explore how oppression operate through culture

III. Demonstrate knowledge about the differences between “banking” education and critical pedagogy

IV. Create critical pedagogy exercises about social issues V. Critically analyze “banking education”

VI. Identify the role of critical education in social changeVII. Connect the concept of critical pedagogy and group dialogue

VIII. Value the perspectives of multiple social positionalities of peersIX. Identify their social positionality and implication in their livesX. Identify themselves as agents of social change in their communities

XI. Value solidarity as pedagogical opportunityXII. Identify sources of social oppression in their community context

XIII. Create a research a research proposal using participatory action research methodology

XIV. Generate problem-posing questions in a variety of spaces for dialogue XV. Work in groups and in collaboration with peers

2. Assignments: I. (15 pts) Reflection about oppressive behaviors: Create a four page

(double-spaced, 12 point font) personal ethos narrative about social justice by identifying oppressive behavior in your live and community. You must identify an issue in your community where you see oppressive behaviors. Explain this issue using class readings and vocabulary.

1. Clearly identifies a social issue in their live or community2. Utilizes class reading to analyze the social issue3. Reflects on their own ethos about social justice

II. (25 pts) Class or workshop: Create a class or a workshop design to open up dialogue about an oppressive social behaviors using critical pedagogy exercises. You most create a class or a workshop with your group of about one hour in length using critical pedagogy methods to open up dialogue

mailto:[email protected]


about a social issue. You must find a group of people that you think must discuss this topic and report in 5-7 pages your plan and your outcomes.

1. Identifies a social issue 2. Identifies a population3. Generates a clear topic, objective and, technique for the exercise 4. Creates a procedure for the exercise 5. Identifies possibilities and limits of the exercise 6. Integrates peer feedback

III. (25 pts) Research proposal: Construct a research proposal paper about a social issue using problem-posing questions. You should write qualitative a paper of approximately 15 pages (double-spaced, 12 point font) that draws on at least 6 readings we have covered during the semester to envision your own research project.

1. Clearly identifies research question2. Identifies literature about research topic3. Creates a justification for this research4. Identifies research method (focus group recommended)5. Create open-ended question using problem-posing questions 6. Uses class readings 7. Create rational for using problem-posing questions for topic and

population8. Integrates peer feedback

IV. (20 pts) Personal Journal:1. Students will log one entry a week into their personal journals, this

could handle in a blog or word document. This entries must be used as the bases for the final reflection about critical pedagogy in practice and research.

V. (15 pts) End of class reflection: Write a 3 page long reflection about using critical pedagogy in your assignments in class and your participating con critical pedagogy exercises throughout the class.

1. Reflects upon their understanding of critical pedagogy in practice and research


Grading and assessment rubric:

A 90-100

B 89-80

C 79-64

D 65- 45

F 44- 0

4. Class Schedule

Topic: Readings/material: Activity: Assignments Week 1Culture

Gramsci for beginners

Hegemony exercise Journal entry

Week 2Culture

Gramsci (1995) 323-377: Prison notes

Small group discussion

Week 3Ideology

Movie: Perverted guide to ideology

Journal entry

Week 4Ideology

Reflection Day Ideology exercise

Class

Missed the target: Missing stuff: Almost there: Job well done!

Student doesn’t present an excuse to miss class and seldom participates in class discussion

Student has a post hoc excuse for missing class and fairly participates in class discussion

Student excuses self for missing class before class begins and participates in most discussions

Student goes to class and participates all discussions

Assignm

ents

Student doesn’t use resources from class and does not creates original work

Student doesn’t use most resources from class and creates original work

Student uses almost all resources for class and creates original work

Student uses all the resources discussed in class, creates original work and complete assignments in due time


Week 5Oppression- Liberation

Freire (1970): Chapter 1

Group Discussion Journal entry

Week 6Liberation-Oppression

Book: Paley (2001), Marketing Democracy: P.


Week 7In-class workshop

Reflection Video (class feedback)

Week 8Sexism

Reflection Day Exercise Problematize sexism through songs

Journal entry

Week 9Racism

Godreau (2008) Slippery semantics

Small group reflection

Week 10Classism

Marx a vuelto videos Group reflection Journal entry

Week 11Mother earth

Movie : An inconvenient truth

Movie

Week 12Oppression through culture

Reflection Day Exercise: Who benefits?

Journal entry

Week 13Oppression through culture

Auto-reflection Day Stereotypes In-Class activity

Reflection about oppressive behaviors assignment due

Week 14“Bankary” education

Freire (1970): Chapter 2

Group discussion Journal entry

Week 15“Bankary” education

Teacher-Student Exercise: Bring your knowledge to class

Week 16Critical education

Moro (2014) 55-63 Group discussion in small groups

Journal entry


Class or workshop assignment (feedback)

Week 18The role education in social change

Romero, Arce & Cammarota (2009) A barrio pedagogy


Journal entry


Week 19Dialogue

Nagda (2007) Intergroup Dialogue: A Critical-Dialogic Approach to Learning

Group Discussion

Week 20The role of dialogue in critical pedagogy

Reflection Day Exercise: The village Journal entry

Week 21Social positioning

Arthur (2010) Interracial activism

Group Discussion Class or workshop assignment due

Week 22Social Positionality

Auto-reflection Day Exercise: Discover your social positionality

Week 23Agency and social change

Giroux (2008): Chapter 3

Small groups discussion

Journal entry

Week 24Agency and social change

Movie: The suffragist Group Discussion Journal entry

Week 25Solidarity

Hooks (2000) Chapter 3


Final class Reflection Due


Research Proposal (feedback)

Week 27 Final Research Proposal Presentations

Week 28 Final Research Proposal Presentations

Research proposal assignment due

5. Class reading:

Arthur, M. (2010). Interracial Activism and the Development of Ethnic Identity. Social Movement Studies, 9(4), 475-479. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14742837.2010.522316

Freire, P. (2000) [1970]. Pedagogy of the oppressed. New York: Continuum.

Giroux, H. (1997). Pedagogy and the politics of hope. Boulder, Colo.: WestviewPress.


Godreau, I. (2009). Slippery Semantics: Race talk and everyday use of racial terminology in Puerto Rico. Centro Journal, 10(2), 5-33.

Gramsci, A. (1995) "The Study of Philosophy"--Further Selections from the Prison Notebooks. University of Minnesota Press.

hooks, b. (2000). Feminism is for everybody. Cambridge, MA: South End Press.

Kohan, N. (2003). Gramsci para principiantes. Buenos Aires: Era Naciente.

Moro, W. (2014). Lecturas de Discusión: Educación Popular: Un acercamiento a una práctica libertaria (pp. 55-63). La Nueva Escuela.

Nagda, B., & Gurin, P. (2007). Intergroup dialogue: A critical-dialogic approach to learning about difference, inequality, and social justice. New Directions for Teaching And Learning, 2007(111), 35-45. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/tl.284

Julia Paley “Accountable Democracy: Citizens’ Impact on Public Decision Making in Postdictatorship Chile”. American Ethnologist 31(4), 2004: 497-513.

Romero, A., Arce, S., & Cammarota, J. (2009). A Barrio pedagogy: identity, intellectualism, activism, and academic achievement through the evolution of critically compassionate intellectualism. Race Ethnicity and Education, 12(2), 217-233. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13613320902995483

6. Class policies:

Students are required to attend class and collaborate with peers outside class. Assignments must be completed on time, if there is an impossibility to do so students should email the professor for a two day extension. Any student with special accommodation must notify it to the professor at the beginning of class. Academic honesty is expected in every assignment for this class.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13613320902995483

http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/tl.284

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Critical Pedagogy in Practice and Research syllabus