Pedagogy Essay

4363 Words18 Pages
What lessons does the pedagogical approach of Paulo Freire have for the development of Citizenship as a national curriculum subject? Abstract This essay critically examines the pedagogical writings of Paulo Freire and considers what lessons it holds for the development of Citizenship teaching in England today. It argues that while the details of Paulo Freire’s educational programme are for another time and place, his approach to education, in teaching about the world through literacy programmes and rejecting the “banking” approach to education holds many lessons for educators today. This essay then relates Freire’s pedagogy to the development of political literacy as a strand of the Citizenship programme of study. It then considers the importance of developing a sense of agency amongst students in developing political literacy as opposed to political knowledge. It also contrasts Paulo Freire’s pedagogy with that proposed by The Crick Report (1998) and examines contemporary critiques of Crick’s approach to the development of political literacy and the Citizenship curriculum. It then examines omissions in Paulo Freire’s approach with particular reference to multiculturalism and consider how Freire’s pedagogy can be implemented in schools today. Essay word count: 3814 What lessons does the pedagogical approach of Paulo Freire have for the development of Citizenship as a national curriculum subject? “If we don’t transcend the idea of education as pure transference of a knowledge that merely describes reality, we will prevent critical consciousness from emerging and thus reinforce political illiteracy.” Freire (1985:104) Introduction A spectre haunts the development of Citizenship education, that spectre is Paulo Freire. In the development of the Citizenship curriculum; in the contemporary debates on the implementation of The Crick Report and
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