Teacher Education and the Politics of Engagement: The Case for Democratic Schooling (original) (raw)
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Can teachers make a difference? Experimenting with, and experiencing, democracy in education. (2012)
2012
As the title of this book suggests, how we understand, perceive and experience democracy may have a significant effect on how we actually engage in, and with, democracy. Within the educational context, this is a key concern, and forms the basis of the research presented in this volume within a critical, comparative analysis. The Global Doing Democracy Research Project (GDDRP), which currently has some 70 scholars in over 20 countries examining how educators do democracy, provides the framework in which diverse scholars explore a host of concerns related to democracy and democratic education, including the impact of neoliberalism, political literacy, critical engagement, teaching and learning for and about democracy, social justice, and the meaning of power/power relations within the educational context.
Becoming a Teacher: Fostering a Democratically Conscious Citizenry through Critical Pedagogy
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The preparation of classroom teachers is the subject of an enduring and intense debate that is often steered by political considerations. The current flare-up regarding teacher evaluation, teacher tenure, and ranking of national Teacher Education Programs is just the most recent chapter in this saga. This chapter focuses on teacher preparation -- on becoming a teacher -- stressing the importance of early integration of critical pedagogy into the teacher education curriculum. Critical pedagogy promises not only to contribute to a professionally more competent classroom teacher but also to a more competent, democratically conscious citizen. A modern, truly democratic society needs a vigilant citizenry to counter the current streamlining of all aspects of society along neoliberal designs.
Critical possibilities for teacher education
Research in Education
This article reviews the limitations of critical pedagogy in programs of teacher education, as well as several approaches of critical pedagogy, and the author, to surpass these limitations. I ask: How can teacher education manifest as a radical force in the transformation of society and cultural relations in schools for the purpose of advancing social justice, the humanization of students, and the relevancy of education curriculum? Furthermore, how can teacher education do more to challenge the status quo of an uncritical, power-obsessed teaching force which reproduces relations of domination and subordination in school? Using historical as well as current research on the political developments influencing the role of critical pedagogy in programs of teacher education, I assert that although neoliberal mandates have restricted the prominence of this approach, teacher educators, teacher education program directors and administrators can exercise agency to promote critical pedagogical...
2016
In this response to "The Political Nuances of Narratives and an Urban Educator's Response, " the authors applaud Pearman's critical approach to deconstructing and challenging narratives of heroic figures who single-handedly change the world and agree with him that these narratives restrict the sense of agency that may propel citizens to become actively involved in social change efforts. We argue that it is important to question why these narratives exist and to understand them in light of the hegemonic capitalist structure that exploits the masses in service to the capitalist class. Although we agree with Pearman that democracy is best served by the participation of every individual in society, we question that common sense coupling of democracy and capitalism and argue that this coupling is integral to the success of the ruling class to maintain the status quo. We find his work of critical importance such that teachers may create classroom contexts that enable students not only to desire to take part in civic responsibilities but also to feel capable of making important contributions that shape society, including challenging the relations of domination across antagonisms: poverty, racism, sexism, heterosexism, et cetera.
Teaching as a political act: The role of critical pedagogical practices and curriculum
Human Affairs, 2016
The present paper is an inquiry into the role of the teacher in the context of the dominant Indian value system, an imposed curriculum and teacher-students interactions from the social psychological and critical interdisciplinary perspectives. The role of the school in the present modernist worldview is to frame and impart knowledge which may lead to economic growth. In this context, the role of the teacher is observed as being limited to a bearer of information rather than a leader who visualizes change and develops critical ability among students. Based on the theoretical framework of postformalism and collective/social identity, the current work argues that the role of the teacher is not limited to passively following and communicating mainstream values but involves constructing a new participative identity through critical pedagogical engagement and by acting as an active agent of social change.
Preparing Teachers as Democratic Professionals
Action in teacher education, 2019
This paper discusses the concept of democratic professionalism and argues that it offers a way to frame teacher education so that it can contribute to more productively managing long standing tensions between public schools, minoritized communities, and teacher preparation programs, and to more closely realizing the democratic potential of public education and teacher education. This decolonial approach to teacher education that actively attempts to benefit from the expertise in local minoritized communities seeks to "disrupt" existing power and knowledge hierarchies and create the basis for new alliances between teachers, teacher unions, teacher educators, and community-based social movements in marginalized communities that are seeking an active role in transforming their own communities. The result is a new hybrid structure for teacher education programs that models the emancipatory vision that is often articulated by programs but not practiced.
Action in Teacher Education Preparing Teachers as Democratic Professionals
Action in Teacher Education, 2020
This paper discusses the concept of democratic professionalism and argues that it offers a way to frame teacher education so that it can contribute to more productively managing long standing tensions between public schools, minoritized communities, and teacher preparation programs, and to more closely realizing the democratic potential of public education and teacher education. This decolonial approach to teacher education that actively attempts to benefit from the expertise in local minoritized communities seeks to "disrupt" existing power and knowledge hierarchies and create the basis for new alliances between teachers, teacher unions, teacher educators, and community-based social movements in marginalized communities that are seeking an active role in transforming their own communities. The result is a new hybrid structure for teacher education programs that models the emancipatory vision that is often articulated by programs but not practiced.
2010
An electronic conversation spontaneously constructed by elementary teacher candidates accomplished the critical reading of text, the connection of these readings to their work as teachers, and the framing of that teaching in terms of socially conscious inquiry and action. The structure of the conversation facilitated the exploration and establishment of the candidate’s identity as critical literacy educators; the implicit rules of engagement facilitated mutual trust, respect and appreciation. This created a safe space in which to engage in a discussion that rendered the teacher candidates vulnerable to self-doubts about critical literacy pedagogy, even as it showcased their intellectual strengths as critical readers. Implications for teacher education are included.