Alternative Praxis, Pedagogy of Hope, and Local Knowledge: Community-Based Action Research for Reimagining Rural Education

• In Event: Action Research Ways of Knowing and Understanding: Alternative Praxis, Poetic Inquiry, Pedagogy of Hope, and Local Knowledge

Abstract

As the society has been confronted with harsh economic conditions, many small-sized, underprivileged schools were forced to close down in Eastern Taiwan. Situated within this dismal backdrop, the researchers intend to develop ways to better understand the plight of marginalized communities and experiment approaches to respond to the needs of disenfranchised families within rural communities. This research effort sheds light on a radical pedagogy of hope, by examining how discourse of ideal family and individualistic character building contribute to the maintenance of systems of colonization and oppression. This research is a transformative project for cultural actions where educational research is used to intervene the plight of the community, and turn their empowerment projects into the force for social innovation.

Authors

• Nancy Lien, National Dong Hwa University

• Huei-Hsuan Lin, National Dong Hwa University