Palou Freire Educational Philosophy and Possibility of Using It in Kurdistan Region of Iraqi Education

Abstract

Paulo Freire was one of the most influential and controversial educational theorists of the 20th century. His ideas have been widely adopted around the world and have deeply impacted pedagogical practice since the 1970's. This paper provides a short overview of Freire's theories and considers how his ideas may be introduced into the educational of Kurdistan in the KRG region of Iraq. Of particular interest to the researchers is the question of the theory of education and how this type of presently dominates the pedagogy in Kurdistan. The researchers conducted an in-depth survey of Kurdish graduate students studying abroad using Freire's questionnaire. The research findings actually suggest that the banking system in Kurdistan undermines the long-term goals and objectives set out by the regions educational leadership. Consequently, they propose several possible strategies and innovative ways that Freire's ideas can be used to reverse these negative trends and improve the overall educational performance of the regions thousands of university students. In particular, the researchers propose that students planning on attending western universities should undergo special classes or seminars focused on critical thinking development and alternatives to the model in preparation for the rigors of western educational practice.