Critical Awareness Research Articles

Critical Consciousness, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Public Health Education

Aotearoa New Zealand is experiencing a significant shift in political discourse surrounding Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The current government, under the guise of ending ‘race-based’ policies and reducing bureaucracy, is proposing changes that threaten to erode the rights and protections of tāngata whenua [Indigenous people of the land]. While the coalition government asserts its commitment to improving outcomes for all New Zealanders, the changes represent a direct assault on Māori that will disproportionately and negatively impact Māori communities. In this political climate, the role of education becomes even more critical. As educators in public health, our commitment to uphold the provisions and principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and to foster understanding is unwavering and more pressing than ever. In this opinion piece, we argue that embedding Te Tiriti o Waitangi meaningfully throughout our curriculum is not just beneficial but essential.

A review of teacher language awareness (2015-2024): Current trends and future directions

Teacher language awareness (TLA) encompasses language teachers’ competencies in using language, analyzing language, and teaching language (Lindahl, 2019). As these competencies directly influence how teachers teach language and the effectiveness of their instruction, TLA has garnered growing interest in recent years, resulting in an expanding body of research. Against this backdrop, this review first briefly clarifies the definitions and boundaries of TLA, highlighting the importance of integrating critical language awareness into TLA. It then analyzes the working mechanisms of TLA, followed by a selective review of empirical research (2015-2024) on the effect of TLA on teachers’ beliefs and practices, the current state of TLA, mediating factors, and the strategies for developing TLA. The review concludes by emphasizing the relevance of social and power dynamics in TLA and discussing current trends and future directions for TLA research.

PEARLS debriefing for social justice and equity: integrating health advocacy in simulation-based education

Addressing health inequities in health professions education is essential for preparing healthcare workers to meet the demands of diverse communities. While simulation has become a widely recognized and effective method for providing safe and authentic clinical learning experiences, there has been limited attention towards the power of simulation in preparing health practitioners to work with groups who experience health disparities due to systems of inequality. Balancing technical proficiency with educational approaches that foster critical reflection and inform action oriented towards social accountability is essential. Transformational learning promotes the development of critical consciousness through critical reflection. Debriefing plays a crucial role in fostering learning in this direction by providing a structured opportunity to critically reflect on taken for granted assumptions, examine power and privilege embedded within systems and structures, and empower learners to take action toward changing those conditions. Building on the Promoting Excellence and Reflective Learning in Simulation (PEARLS) Healthcare Debriefing Tool, we propose a PEARLS Debriefing for Social Justice and Equity (DSJE) Tool that specifically directs attention to systems of inequality that contribute to health disparities for vulnerable groups across a range of simulation scenarios. This approach has two aims: (a) to transform debriefings into a critically reflective space by engaging learners in dialogue about social and structural determinants of health that may create or perpetuate inequities and (b) to foster critical reflection on what actions can be taken to improve the health and well-being of identified at risk and vulnerable groups. From this perspective, we can use the adapted PEARLS Tool to incorporate conversations about systems of inequality, equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) into our existing educational practices, and make concentrated efforts towards community-driven and socially conscious simulation-based education (SBE).

Subverting Racialized Mobility Regimes: Ethical Research with Migrant Youth in an Age of Securitization

In France, minoritized migrant youth—a term encompassing various legal statuses and migration trajectories—are subject to systems of surveillance that include racialized policing, school securitization policies, and programs to counter extremism. These institutional practices are complemented by hostility within everyday public spaces and broader systems of representation. Together, institutional and everyday forms of surveillance constitute racialized mobility regimes for migrant youth within and beyond educational spaces. For researchers who work with migrant youth, such landscapes pose ethical demands—what forms of critical awareness, anticipatory planning, and improvisatory practices are necessary to mitigate harms resulting from participation in their projects? Drawing upon an autoethnographic revisiting of a 16-month digital storytelling engagement with newcomer migrant and refugee youth in two French high schools, I discuss the creation of a “youth researcher” pass in anticipation of the racialized surveillance confronting migrant youth in France. Informed by the works of Walter Benjamin and Michel de Certeau on mobility, storytelling, and facsimiles, as well as political developments in France, I argue that in settings in which migrant presence is deemed a threat, researchers must unapologetically opt for an ethical stance that takes protection of participants’ humanity—rather than legality—as its core aim.

A Qualitative Analysis of Student Perspectives of Their Post-secondary Nutrition and Dietetics Program, Courses, and Instructors: Applying a Critical Pedagogies Perspective

Postsecondary dietetics education is in a time of transition in Canada and specifically in Manitoba. We sought to qualitatively investigate this cohort’s perspectives on the University of Manitoba’s dietetics program. In 2020/21, interviews were conducted with undergraduate dietetics students as well as dietetics interns and graduate students who had recently completed the undergraduate dietetics program. We recruited 25 participants, all of whom self-identified as female, with 60% identifying as white, with an average age of 25 years old. Informed by critical pedagogy, our analysis yielded four themes: motivations for studying dietetics; learning outside the classroom; development of critical awareness; and uncertain career futures and training improvements. Social media featured in each of the themes, particularly in how it exposed participants to various social justice movements. While students acknowledged developing more critical awareness in their programs, they nonetheless felt a disconnect between what they perceived they needed to learn and what was taught. Participants also described uncertainty associated with the future directions of their program or career. Analysis of their perspectives reveal ways dietetics and dietetics education could further incorporate critical pedagogies that highlight social justice issues, enhancing the field’s potential to contribute to public health and health promotion. In this time of transition for dietetics education in Manitoba, drawing inspiration from perspectives of this cohort, there is an opportunity for dietetics and pedagogy to evolve. There is also potential to apply critical pedagogy to analyze trainee perspectives of other health professional education and training programs.

Coming to critical technology consciousness: a phenomenological study of educators

ABSTRACT Educators need critical perspectives toward technology to navigate the rapid pace of technological change in schools, but little is known about how educators develop critical perspectives. In this phenomenological study, we explore the experiences of 30 educators (across a range of educational settings) who self-identified as holding critical perspectives about technology. They described their critical perspectives through four overlapping orientations: question the technology, question the narratives, put the technology in its sociopolitical context, and engage in reflective practice. Our participants often began with enthusiastic or uncritical views toward technology but gained critical perspectives through change agent experiences in work, school, and/or everyday life. We interpret these findings through the lens of raising critical consciousness, comparing our participants’ experiences with those outlined by theories of sociopolitical critical consciousness formation. Our findings offer insights for educators who seek to integrate more critical technology curriculum, especially in K-12 and undergraduate settings.

Teachers’ enactment of Freirean democratic pedagogies in primary school physical education

ABSTRACT Background Despite its ubiquity in education discourses, social justice is a highly contested concept that can be framed in different ways [Dowling, F., H. Fitzgerald, and A. Flintoff. 2012. Equity and Difference in Physical Education, Youth Sport and Health: A Narrative Approach. Routledge]. The ‘social’ element of social justice is always framed by broader cultural and socio-political contexts. Therefore teaching for social justice cannot be conceptualised as a single pedagogy that can be enacted without regard for the learning content and the learning context. Purpose The rationale for this research is to bridge the gap between advocacy for pedagogies for social justice and practices done in the name. The specific aim of this paper was to explore how specialist primary school physical education teachers in Spain enact democratic practices that promote social justice by engaging students in decision making in ways that ensure their voices are heard and considered. Method The research was informed by Critical Incident Technique (CIT) methodology. Data were generated through six classroom observations and stimulated recall interviews with three Spanish primary PE teachers. Data analysis was informed by Paulo Freire’s [1970. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Seabury Press] democratic pedagogy and associated concepts of dialogue, problem posing and critical consciousness. Findings The findings demonstrate how the teachers’ PE teachers’ practices have strong roots in democratic principles that are consistent with the scholarship of Freire. The two themes; (1) ‘Student-led dialogical encounters’ and (2) ‘Pedagogy of questioning and exploration’ provide insight into how the Spanish primary school PE specialists in this study teach for and about social justice in contextually relevant ways. Discussion These findings remind us that PE provides a fertile educational context for implementing democratic pedagogies due to its interactive activity-based context and curricular focus on holistic development. The findings provide insight into both how democratic pedagogies in PE are possible even with very young students. Conclusion We argue that democratic pedagogies are essential to social justice outcomes in school PE. They can enhance student participation, foster relationships, and empower individuals to become active agents of change. Democratic pedagogies in primary schools provide a sound foundation for scaffolding a critical consciousness in secondary school PE contexts.

Community-Engaged Research Projects in School Settings: Science Teachers’ Practices and Reflections

Community-engaged research (CER) is a justice-oriented research paradigm that emphasizes equitable and reciprocal knowledge co-production with community members and organizations, sharing power, benefits, contributions, and responsibilities among all participants. This study explores nine teachers’ cases of facilitating CER projects in their respective school settings, aimed to support students’ critical consciousness and action for environmental issues and injustices. This study contributes to educational research by adapting an existing framework for CER for environmental justice that can guide K-12 teaching and research on it. By analyzing data from teacher community meetings and individual interviews in the CER framework, this study articulates classroom practices that addressed the Distribution, Procedure, Recognition, and Transformation dimensions of CER, as well as the positive impacts and challenges of these implementations. The findings report teacher practices categorized by the CER dimensions they addressed (the what of the practices) and the instructional strategies they employed (the how of the practices). The findings also compare the frequency of these practices as an indicator of variation in teacher practices and illustrate this variation through three teachers’ CER cases. The findings also document the positive outcomes of CER in student empowerment, as well as the challenges related to time, resources, assessment, and stakeholder skepticism, underscoring the need for systemic support to enhance CER in school settings. The discussion focuses on the implications of these findings and ways to address the identified challenges through future research and institutional efforts.

Incorporating Critical Pedagogy into Second Language Teacher Education: An Identity Lens

Language teacher identity has become an established field of inquiry over the past decades. Despite strong calls to integrate critical pedagogy into language teacher education programs to foster student teachers’ critical awareness and catalyze their identity development, there is a paucity of empirical studies on how such integration can take place and influence student teachers’ identity construction. Adopting a case study approach, this article demonstrates two student teachers’ identity changes in an undergraduate Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages course with a critical pedagogy design. Multiple sources of data were collected including semi-structured individual interviews, online forum discussion records and final reflection essays. Throughout the course, the two student teachers actively engaged in multiple course activities and reflected on their personal beliefs about English and its learning and use. Diwata (pseudonym) regained confidence as a language teacher who was determined to disprove misconceptions in this field, and Ting (pseudonym) reclaimed ownership of English by unearthing her shining points in teaching (e.g. shared experience and empathy with students). The findings underscore the role of critical pedagogy in catalyzing student teachers’ identity transformation into linguistically inclusive, socially conscious and culturally responsive language teachers. Practical implications are also provided in the article.

The vertical curriculum in the lifelong learning perspective

The paper considers the concept of the vertical curriculum in the lifelong learning conception. The concept of vertical curriculum introduces an issue that marks a discontinuity with transformative values in pedagogical debate and teaching practice. The perspective of lifelong learning modifies and integrates the educational project precisely on the basis of a different temporal conception, not only on the adjustment of organizational structures but on the ecology of development and learning understood as a vital process. In this sense, schools must confront the scientifically proven thesis that people continue to learn and transform throughout their lives and must at the same time make this idea pedagogically sustainable. From this point of view, the reference map comes to be supplemented with the concepts of mental plasticity and pervasiveness of knowledge, from which some key criteria for learning-to-learn-oriented design, among others, can be derived. The vertical curriculum represents a cultural artifact, progressive and recursive, capable of promoting training in complexity, understood in this part as a process that is related to the dimension of reflexivity and strategic competencies: a process that lasts throughout the life cycle and allows for the construction of meanings from experience, in a perspective of critical consciousness, global citizenship and planetary responsibility.

Becoming activists: how young athletes use visual tools for civic action and meaning-making within participatory research

How can participatory research, combined with visual methods, enable young people to grow as engaged citizens in their communities? This article introduces an innovative methodological design that draws on a Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) approach with 33 young athletes aged 11 to 16 from two different educational settings. Based on both observation notes from the community profiling process and visual materials produced by the young people throughout that process, we analyze how they become activists, taking sports as the ground for mobilization and intervention in their communities. Specifically, we examine the visual activist strategies and the visual meaning-making representations that resulted from young people’s engagement in participatory research. Novel findings include the realization that young people with no previous experience in activism strongly prefer visual and performative formats of participation, often in connection with digital and online arenas. Additionally, data analyses reveal that participants particularly value collective moments of learning, negotiation, and preparation of activist actions. This article highlights the increasing prevalence of visual-oriented modes of civic engagement and the potential of participatory methodologies in fostering critical awareness, meaningful decision-making, and a sense of agency among young people.

The role of arts-based methods in supporting safe and participatory research addressing sexual violence with young people

Background: The use of participatory visual methods in humanities, health, education and social science research to study ‘sensitive’ subject matter with children and young people is growing. Such approaches have been widely – though sometimes uncritically – celebrated for contributing to safe data elicitation, promoting participant influence and strengthening research dissemination and impact. Some authors have pointed to their political contributions – challenging the traditional politics of representation and fostering critical consciousness and thinking. Methods: This article explores these claims, reflecting on a study using creative and participatory methods to explore the concept of ‘resistance’ among young people affected by sexual violence. It begins by outlining the background, rationale and use of creative methods in the project, moving from plans to utilise ‘Photovoice’ methods to a more diverse and responsive set of creative methods. Findings: The paper presents evidence for the contribution of such methods to creating safety and fostering participation while developing new conceptual thinking among researchers and participants. Conclusion: In this project, the success of creative methods is rooted in the dynamics of what we term spaciousness and playfulness which support dialogical practice. These dynamics are critical to enabling a safe participatory culture that bridges divides between stakeholders of different status, identity and ownership.

Normative versus transformative coaching approaches: Profiling the social justice activism and allyship of Canadian high school sport coaches

In Canada, high school sport is a popular activity used to foster the physical and psychosocial development of student-athletes. Despite the popularity of high school sport, social justice inequities (e.g., racism, ableism) continue to shape student-athletes’ experiences. Given that the mission of School Sport Canada (i.e., the national governing body of school sport) is to facilitate the “total development of student athletes through interscholastic sport”, there is a need to study the way coaches think about and act for social justice. Thus, the purpose of the study was to profile the social justice activism and allyship of Canadian high school coaches. Semi-structured interviews were conducted virtually (i.e., via Zoom) with 28 Canadian high school sport coaches. Interview data were subjected to reflexive thematic analysis, which led to the development of two coach profiles based on the two continua model for life skills teaching (Camiré, 2023). The two coaching profiles – the normative coaching approach (i.e., general disinterest in social justice) and the transformative coaching approach (i.e., proactive social justice activism through a developed critical consciousness) – are contrasted across four overarching themes (a) I’m (Not) Confident, I (Don’t) Understand; (b) (Un)intentionally (Re)acting; (c) You See Excuses, I See Obstacles to be Toppled; and (d) (Dis)engaged and (Non)autonomous Education. Findings have practical implications for centering social justice in coach education, for developing critical praxis related to activism and allyship, and for instigating systemic policy changes that can make the Canadian school sport system safer, more equitable, and more inclusive for all participants.

Sociocultural Competence and Critical Consciousness: Stories of a Vietnamese Dual-Language Program in South Texas

ABSTRACT Drawing upon the theoretical underpinnings of sociocultural competence and critical consciousness as two key components in the guiding principles for dual-language and bilingual education (DLBE), this paper documents the purposeful curricular design and implementation of cultural aspects of a Vietnamese Dual-Language Program in South Texas. Findings reveal a robust multilayered integration of the sociocultural competence pillar at four levels: community, school, classroom, and transnational. These four levels altogether have had a positive impact on current students’ and alumni’s social well-being and attitudes toward bilingualism, biliteracy, and biculturalism. Further findings also point to the stakeholders’ critically conscious actions such as the strategic incorporation of sociocultural competence into the program’s curriculum and efforts of renegotiating power, reaffirming identities, and historicizing schools and programs. Those insights might have significant implications for future research and educational programs that foreground DLBE, especially among less-commonly-taught-language groups.

The critical thinking approach to tactical development in team sports: a review of the work of Jean Francis Gréhaigne

ABSTRACT Background: Critical thinking underlies tactical ability, and in the sporting context, it is known as reflective thinking that is used to make reasonable and defensible decisions in movement tasks. Critical thinking and sports tactics can then be described as analytical processes that involve solving situations in a reflective way. It is through experiences and discussions around experiences that more meaningful learning is generated (Godbout and Gréhaigne 2022). If we want to develop the tactical ability of players and, therefore, their decision-making ability, we should try to improve their critical thinking skills. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to review French Professor Jean Francis (J.F.) Gréhaigne's research on tactical development in team sports from a critical thinking perspective to enhance player decision-making. Gréhaigne, a professor in the Department of Sports Science and Physical Activity at the Institute for Teacher Education of Franche-Comté in Besancon, France, has dedicated his research career to identifying the elements associated with the teaching and pedagogy of team sports. His work is particularly noteworthy in that it proposes that critical thinking underlies tactical ability; it means that before a motor action, there must be an analysis of the situation, and this analysis must be explicit for the current moment. Method: A reflexive thematic analysis was conducted using electronic databases of research articles published before September 2021. The databases utilized were SCOPUS and Google Scholar. The search did not target any exclusive journal but focused on articles where Professor J.F. Gréhaigne was the lead or co-author, specifically related to tactical development and critical thinking in team sports. Although the search was primarily conducted in English, French works were also considered due to the author’s linguistic capabilities and the relevance of Professor Gréhaigne's contributions. A total of twenty articles were included in the documentary analysis. Results: According to the contributions of Professor J.F. Gréhaigne, it is possible to recognize that the proposals based on tactical development in team sports arose from the need, mainly, to identify a pedagogical didactic process that sought to develop analytical abilities in line with the reality of the game. Recognizing the game as a dynamic, chaotic, and uncertain system reveals that the way in which its development should be approached should be far from rigid pedagogical structures. Conclusions: Critical thinking is always essential for team sports players during the game. Pedagogical proposals should focus on developing players’ critical awareness and analytical capacity so that they can solve spontaneous situations on their own. This study is the first reflexive thematic analysis of the work developed by Professor J.F. Gréhaigne related to critical thinking and tactics in team sports. The findings of this study provide significant information and directions for the future development of tactical skills in team sports.

Virtual Photovoice and Social Work: Unveiling CRT and LatCrit Insights into Latinx Communities in the Southwest During COVID-19

ABSTRACT The paper explores the intersection of Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Latinx Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) within Latinx communities, focusing on Photovoice as a method to understand systemic inequalities and power dynamics. Drawing on Freire’s concept of critical consciousness, CRT and LatCrit frameworks delve into institutional racism and intersecting forms of oppression experienced by Latinx communities. The study adapted the use of Photovoice to a virtual format during the COVID-19 pandemic, aiming to authentically capture community narratives. Through the Your Family, Your Neighborhood (YFYN) intervention, Photovoice sessions engage Latinx families in documenting neighborhood strengths and challenges. Virtual adaptation enabled inclusivity and participation despite geographical barriers. Thematic analysis of participant-generated photos and narratives reveals community strengths in resilience, faith, and recreational spaces in response to challenges such as environmental hazards and inadequate infrastructure. This paper also highlights the role of social work in integrating culturally relevant methodologies to better understand and address Latinx experiences. By leveraging digital technologies, remote Photovoice projects uphold principles of participation and empowerment, contributing to nuanced understandings of Latinx realities within the U.S. socio-cultural landscape and offering valuable insights for social work practice and advocacy.

Critical Multilingual Literacy Awareness (CMLA) as a Catalyst for Developing Students' Critical Thinking Literacy in Literature

This article explores the impact of Critical Multilingual Literacy Awareness (CMLA) on enhancing critical thinking skills among literature students. By integrating multilingual texts with critical literacy practices, CMLA fosters a more nuanced approach to literary analysis, encouraging students to engage deeply with diverse linguistic and cultural perspectives. The study employs a qualitative case study methodology, involving 30 undergraduate literature students from varied linguistic backgrounds, and utilizes classroom observations, interviews, and written assignments to assess outcomes. Findings reveal significant improvements in students' abilities to conduct comparative analyses, understand contextual nuances, and engage in reflexive thinking. The results underscore the transformative potential of CMLA in literature education, advocating for its broader implementation to cultivate critical thinking and intercultural competence in an increasingly interconnected world. This research not only contributes to the academic discourse on multilingualism in education but also provides practical strategies for educators seeking to enrich their teaching practices.

EDITORIAL: Undecided: Artificial Intelligence and Assessments

This issue of the Transnational Education Review features several compelling articles that explore critical dimensions of education in our rapidly evolving global landscape. Helena Dedecek Gertz, Javier A. Carnicer, and Sara Fürstenau examine the influential role of migrant content creators in transnational education through social media platforms. Their research highlights how digital spaces can bridge cultural gaps and create new educational opportunities across borders. In another insightful study, Zaynab Benabdallah and Djamila Chekrouni analyze the emigration of highly qualified students from Morocco using panel data. Their findings shed light on the motivations and impacts of this talent migration, offering valuable perspectives on brain drain and global mobility. Additionally, Carlos Javier Gomez M., Pedro Longart, and María Cristina González Martínez propose a meta-abilities model for 21st-century academic leadership. This innovative framework emphasizes the cultivation of critical consciousness, underscoring the importance of holistic leadership development in higher education. Finally, Sophia Dimelis reflects on the state of digital higher education and adult learning in Greece and other Balkan countries. Her comparative analysis highlights both the challenges and opportunities faced by these regions in adapting to digital transformations in education. These articles collectively contribute to a deeper understanding of the complex forces shaping global education today. And yet, the need for more studies and debates on the AI and digitalisation are warranted. We invite you to engage with these thought-provoking studies and consider submitting your work to enrich future discussions in this evolving field.

The COVID‐19 pandemic and young people's civic engagement: A scoping review

AbstractThis scoping review summarizes evidence regarding the impact of civic and community engagement of young people during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Recognizing that the global pandemic not only brought challenges but also new opportunities to take a stance and to actively engage in communities and society, this review assesses the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on young people's civic engagement across different cultural contexts and identifies key factors and processes that enable young people to engage with their community or society at large. We summarize evidence from 27 original research papers, one thought piece, and four reports conducted by global organizations such as the United Nations and OECD. Relevant research was conducted in the United States, Europe, China, Southeast Asia, South Africa, and New Zealand, addressing the development of leadership skills, civic responsibility, critical consciousness, civic and community engagement, as well as social integration. Key factors that facilitated civic engagement include national investments in online learning facilities, support for basic needs (such as education, health, and employment), and promotion and encouragement of local initiatives. The studies differed in their focus depending on the socio‐cultural context encountered and future research needs to consider cultural variations and different demands on young people to inform effective practices for supporting young people's active engagement in society.

Fighting the Standardized Norm: Combating Linguistic Deficit Ideologies

ABSTRACT Standardized forms are those used by the upper-middle class, and the promotion of them is a way to benefit the institutions of power. Therefore, the ideal curriculum should promote critical language awareness (CLA) to use linguistic ideologies to the benefit of US Latinx students, and Spanish programs should work towards de-foreignizing the curriculum by making space for US Spanish. This article proposes revisiting the goals of Spanish programs considering the real linguistic practices of US Latinx, and situating them in the history of colonization of Latinx in the US. Students could use oral histories and cultural projects to promote the use of Spanglish and dismantle language ideologies to transform the perception of US Spanish.