Exposure/Formation: A Process for Developing Transformative Education Frameworks and Critical Consciousness in Higher Education

Abstract

ABSTRACT In this paper, I assert that professors can develop transformative pedagogies from exposure to social injustice in everyday work and teaching or from studying it in graduate programmatic and course settings. I make this assertion based on data from a qualitative study where I interviewed five public university professors (n= 5) from humanities and social science departments. I used purposive sampling to gain deeper insights on social justice education, which often leads to transformative impacts on students. Those I interviewed discussed experiences where they were exposed to or learned about social injustices. Through learning about this injustice, they then developed educational mindsets where they wanted impact society through teaching and education. Their goal was to expose students to similar experiences and understandings so that their students would also develop these analytical perspectives. This study gives scholars and educators insights as to how teachers from various disciplines develop transformative perspectives that they also want to imbue on their current and future students. Likewise, this project bridges theoretical conversations about critical pedagogy to qualitative research with respect to how teachers come to teach in critical and transformative ways.