In pursuit of the practice of radical equality: Rancière inspired pedagogical inquiries in elementary school science education (original) (raw)

2016, Cultural Studies of Science Education

This article outlines a study of praxis. Inspired by my reading of Jacques Rancière's (The ignorant schoolmaster: Five lessons in intellectual emancipation, trans. K. Ross, Stanford University Press, Stanford, 1991) influential text, The Ignorant School Master, I explore the practical applications of his work for teaching and outline a pedagogical response that sought to effect educational change through a philosophically driven teacher inquiry. Keywords Rancière Á Emancipation Á Subjectivity Á Equality Á Elementary science education Á Reading as inquiry Á English language learners The concept of emancipation and its relationship to schooling has a long tradition. Recently, educators have engaged with the work of French philosopher Jacques Rancière to contribute unique perspectives to discussions on equality, empowerment, and emancipation in education. For example, in science education, Jesse Bazzul (2013) notes that ''Rancière's politics and radical notion of equality can provide (science) educators with new political possibilities'' (p. 245). Claudia Ruitenberg (2008) challenges us to consider ''If democracy really matters, those who have a voice in schools and school systems can ask themselves what structures currently prevent democracy from entering the scene and equality from asserting itself'' (para. 17). And Gert Biesta (2010) draws on Rancière to offer a series of reflections on emancipation and critical pedagogy concluding that it is not our commitment to equality, democracy, and emancipation that matters most, ''but how we express and articulate this commitment'' (p. 57).

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