Tensions and Possibilities: A Study of Thai Doctoral Students' Encounters With Critical Pedagogy in the United States

• In Event: Research in Progress Roundtable Session 3
  In Invited Roundtable: Transnational Issues in Postsecondary Education: Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Admissions, and Instructor Disposition (Table 16)

Abstract

This study explores how Thai doctoral students in U.S. education programs experience critical pedagogy (CP), focusing on the tensions and opportunities it presents. Grounded in Freire’s transformative framework, CP aims to foster critical consciousness and challenge oppression. However, limited research explores how international students from non-Western contexts engage with CP. Employing a phenomenological framework, this study investigates participants’ past, present, and anticipated future experiences with CP through Seidman’s three-interview series. Data collection is ongoing, with emerging themes highlighting challenges in adapting CP and its transformative potential in Thai contexts. The study aims to contribute to cross-cultural education by offering insights into the applicability and adaptation of CP in diverse educational environments.

Author

• Munchuree Kaosayapandhu, Illinois State University