Review: The Art of Critical Pedagogy by Jeffrey M.R. Duncan-Andrade and Ernest Morrell

Abstract

The Art of Critical Pedagogy by Jeffrey M. Duncan-Andrade and Ernest Morrell. New York: Peter Lang, 2008. 240 pp. ISBN 978-0-8204-7415-1. Many recognize the need for critical praxis to bridge “theory” and “practice” for social change, but few can explain what this actually entails. As standardized curricula and testing continue to crush the spirits of countless students and educators, however, The Art of Critical Pedagogy describes step by step how to navigate the current educational landscape and empower marginalized students by putting critical pedagogical theory into action. Duncan-Andrade and Morrell engage with students in participatory action research, embodying “theory as liberatory practice” (hooks, 1994) while responding to Freire’s (1997) appeal for reflective journaling on the pedagogical process. Accessibility of Theory and Application to Action Offering digestible theory without lofty jargon while simultaneously illustrating direct application of such theory to educational practice, this book proves accessible to practitioners and researchers and to novice and veteran teachers alike. From the very first chapter, the authors deconstruct current issues in urban education using theories to wipe clean, rather than smudge, the political and economic lenses necessary to see how some schools are designed to fail. They make clear connections between school realities and concepts such as “deficit model” thinking (Hull, Rose, Fraser, & Castellano, 1991; Valencia & Solorzano, 1997), “funds of knowledge” (Moll, 2000), socioeconomics (Bowles & Gintis, 1976; Anyon, 1981), “academic apartheid” (Akom, 2003), structural determinism and hegemonic practices (Gramsci, 1971), critical praxis against “banking education” (Freire, 1970), and more. Similarly, chapter 2, “Contemporary Developers of Critical Pedagogy,” not only offers one of the best overviews of critical pedagogy available, but also highlights both the “rock star” and “underground” educator-activists who have powerfully shaped the discipline. While some critics believe that critical pedagogy is weakened by its diverse philosophers’ discursive disagreements, this book successfully illustrates how such diversity provides a stronger framework for educational change. Each subsequent chapter grounds teacher practice in educational theory as Duncan-Andrade and Morrell describe their applications of critical pedagogy to five different high school learning environments: an English classroom, a women’s basketball team, a college access program for students of color, a teenage summer research seminar, and an ethnic studies course. For example, in the English classroom, the authors used Freire’s (1970) theories against banking education, Vygotsky’s (1978) Zone of Proximal Development, and Smitherman’s