Critical Pedagogy and the Understanding of Democracy Among Teacher-Education Students in Quebec

• In Event: The Significance of How Educators Experience Democracy, and the Potential for Democratic Education

Abstract

1. Objectives or purposes
This paper presents a data from a study of teacher-education students (n=262) at a French-language university in Quebec. Building on other studies with teacher-education students, this sample seeks to enlarge, validate and contextualize the previous findings.

2. Perspective(s) or theoretical framework
A particular focus here is the critical pedagogy of democracy (Denzin, 2009; Freire, 1973, 1985, 1988, 2004, 1973/2005; Kincheloe, 2008a, 2008b), and how teacher-student identities are enmeshed with their democratic experiences. Attempting to unravel the normative understanding of democracy from the thicker, more critical and engaged formulation of democracy became part of the conceptual framework. The Canadian, French-language context distinguishes it from the US and Canadian samples, despite many normative similarities. Fewer studies appear to have been undertaken in French on this area (Le Brun, 2006).

3. Methods, techniques, or modes of inquiry
Significant groundwork was laid before conducting this research. The USA questionnaire was translated, then adapted, and participants completed the survey in 2009. In addition, they completed a supplementary survey of five questions asking them how they felt completing the survey, what they found most difficult, enlightening and surprising. This later part provides a rich terrain to explore in relation to how we discuss democracy, and how we make sense of democratic education. As with the previous USA and the other Canadian samples, most of the participants were White females under 22 years of age, and racial minorities constituted roughly 12% of both the USA and Canadian samples.

4. Data sources, evidence, objects or materials
Using data from an on-line survey and an electronic data-base, this paper presents the quantitative and qualitative analyses.

5. Results and/or substantiated conclusions or warrants for arguments/point of view
At one level, this sample defined democracy in a similar way as their American and Canadian counterparts, emphasizing normative conceptualizations, such as “power of the people,” “participation of people, especially through voting,” “freedom of expression,” and “majority rule is the key principle in democracy”. Interestingly, few participants spoke of the importance of education in developing and sustaining a democracy, and many acknowledged, in both samples, that their democratic experiences in their own educational journeys was rather thin. While a small number did speak of critical engagement, these participants generally alluded to outside influences in addition to finding some resonance within the formal school system. There were some particularities in the French-language context, including the culture, the importance of collective identity, and the presence of solidarity.

6. Scientific or scholarly significance of the study or work
This study highlights the salience of neoliberalism throughout education. The post-survey questionnaire reveals that students are interested in interrogating, democracy, thus shedding the stereotype that today’s youth are simply cynical and apathetic. The desire to engage students critically concerning diverse democratic forms, therefore, is an area of concern for teacher-educators, and this could lead to more democracy in education (Carr, Zyngier & Pryun, 2012). An analysis and models of democratic epistemology have been developed based on this segment of the research.

Author

• Gina Thesee, University of Quebec - Montreal