Creating a culture of care: the role of critical pedagogy as a foundation for peace in transformative & creative education

• In Event: Educational Approaches to Social Cohesion: Pedagogy, Governance, and Resilience

Proposal

The domain of critical pedagogy has been profoundly impacted by Paulo Freire’s scholarship, particularly his notable work on the banking concept of education, which envisioned ways to transform education into a meaningful, reciprocal, and care-based practice between educators and students (Freire, 2000). Yet, another cornerstone of Freire’s work was the notion of “conscientização,” which refers to “critical consciousness,” specifically in the way individuals decipher their positioning in the world as both workers and knowledge receivers, balancing these factors to achieve a sense of autonomy (Collier & Lohnes Watulak, 2023, p. 221; Freire, 2000). Critical consciousness, according to Freire (2000), is a key element of transformative pedagogy, as it addresses the “humanization” of individuals (p. 49). To other related scholars, including John Dewey (1916) and bell hooks (1994), the areas of socialization and, more broadly, the revitalization of education through a disruption of the traditional comfort zone to envision contemporary modes of teaching and practices remain central to the process of transformative pedagogy.

Conversely, though ascribed diverse meanings, creative pedagogy might be understood as possessing the elements of imagination, freedom, and experimental and recreational learning that centres on collectivity to reach a shared outcome through acts of producing (Cremin & Chappell, 2021, p. 311; Jin et al., 2021). Creative pedagogies are, nonetheless, connected to transformative education, as both aim to foster more equitable forms of learning for students by challenging dominant ideologies through which knowledge has its origins, and contesting the neoliberal ideals that place significant constraints on students, impacting their ability to learn in more autonomous ways (Pilcher, 2017, p. 976).

While transformative and creative pedagogies have several linkages, such that they encourage thoughtful reflection and critical thinking, their key differences remain in the fact that transformative pedagogies are based on understanding and fostering an awareness of the related elements of power and empowerment (Freire, 2000; hooks, 1994). Contrarily, creative pedagogies are aligned with educational freedom and self-expression, focusing on classroom-based approaches and practices, with teachers holding the primary responsibility to foster favourable conditions for such learning to occur (Cremin & Chappell, 2021; Selkrig & Keamy, 2017; Sosa et al., 2023). This theoretical paper will, therefore, examine the key differences between transformative and creative pedagogies by primarily discussing the central theories of Paulo Freire, John Dewey, and bell hooks to emphasize the elements that constitute transformative education. Subsequently, the viewpoints of these three scholars on transformative learning will be paralleled with the work of researchers in the broad field of education to offer contemporary insights into creative pedagogies.

Overall, as illustrated by the significant works of Paulo Freire (1998, 2000), John Dewey (1916, 2015), and bell hooks (1994), transformative learning is marked by several interrelated personal and social factors. To engage in such learning, there must be a commitment to ongoing self-reflection, respect, collaboration, and experience stemming from social opportunities that encourage an individual to learn about their positionality (Freire, 1998, 2000; Dewey, 1916; hooks, 1994). Creative pedagogies, while possessing many similar characteristics to transformative learning, are uniquely associated with notions of intersectional thinking, independence, and self-expression (Harmat, 2020; Cremin & Chappell, 2021; Jin et al., 2021; Selkrig & Keamy, 2017; Sosa et al., 2023). While several scholars speak to the importance of educators shaping the conditions for transformative and creative learning to transpire (Harris & de Bruin, 2018; Kuntz et al., 2013; Merrotsy, 2017), the viewpoints of hooks (1994), in particular, illustrate the value of co-creation between the teacher and student. Through the core features of both transformative and creative pedagogies, the practice of meaningful collaboration between the teacher and student can lead to greater understanding and unity, thereby fostering a sense of peace. This understanding can illuminate how a student’s lived experiences pose advantages and challenges that impact their learning, in addition to how the educator can hone skills to robustly facilitate critical knowledge acquisition and adaptation within and outside the classroom.

Author

• Julianna Kowlessar, York University