Teaching for critical engagement Sample Clauses

Teaching for critical engagement. In their study of plural conceptions of social justice, Xxxxxxx and Xxxxx (2002, p. 506) identify an approach to teaching that involves ‘a redistribution of the cultural tools needed to decode and critically engage with dominant cultural forms’, and they support their discussion through reference to the Citizen School in southern Brazil: The starting point for the construction of curricular knowledge is the culture(s) of the communities themselves, not only in terms of content but in perspective as well. The students are not studying history or social or cultural studies through books that never address the real problems and interests they have. The students learn history by beginning with the historical experience of their families. They study important social and cultural content by focusing on and valorizing their own cultural manifestations. A real shift is occurring because the focus is not on the ‘core/official’ knowledge organized around dominant class and race visions of the world, but on the real problems and interests of the students and the community (Xxxxxx & Apple, in Xxxxxxx & Xxxxx, 2002, p. 508). Teaching for critical engagement is similar to Xxxxx’x (2004) process-oriented model of critical reflection, as both seek to cultivate the individual’s understanding of his/her subject position. However, there is a significant difference between the two approaches. Xxxxx’x methodology aims to eradicate feelings of cultural superiority/otherness by engaging school leaders with the experiences of marginalised groups. The methodology identified by Xxxxxxx and Xxxxx (2002) aims to eradicate feelings of inferiority held by marginalised pupils by valorising their cultural manifestations.