Beyond the grand narrative: Uncovering tensions in the experiences of critical educators

ABSTRACT This theoretical and conceptual article examines the relationship between Paulo Freire’s critical pedagogy and the student journalism covering Columbia University’s spring 2024 pro-Palestine protests. The approach taken by these student journalists reflects Freire’s philosophy of dialogue, which emphasizes humility, hope, faith, and love, all guided by critical thinking, as crucial elements for promoting meaningful social change. Their reporting, grounded in empathy and a strong connection to their community, challenges conventional Western journalistic norms of objectivity and detachment. By incorporating Freire’s ideas, the paper advocates for a model of journalism that is more ethical, community-centered, and responsive to pressing social justice needs. It suggests that Freirean concepts should be integrated into journalism education and practice to cultivate a journalism that is committed to social transformation.

General Background: Moral degradation among elementary school students in the era of globalization has raised concerns about the alignment between character education goals and curriculum practices. Specific Background: In Indonesia, character education has been formally integrated into the 2013 Curriculum and the Independent Curriculum as part of national educational reform. Knowledge Gap: However, the implementation of character education often remains administrative and symbolic, while classroom practices still emphasize cognitive assessment rather than experiential moral development. Aims: This study examines the philosophy of progressivism as an analytical framework for reconstructing character education within Indonesian curriculum policy. Results: Through qualitative literature analysis and comparative philosophical examination of Dewey, Neill, Lickona, and Freire, the study finds that progressive principles such as reflective learning, dialogical interaction, and experiential participation are partially reflected in national curriculum design. The Independent Curriculum shows a stronger progressive orientation than the 2013 Curriculum, yet its implementation remains constrained by teacher preparedness, institutional culture, and assessment systems. Novelty: This study proposes a synthesis of classical progressivism and critical pedagogy to construct a holistic–reflective model of character education. Implications: The proposed framework supports the development of reflective, experience-based, and socially aware character education within Indonesian curriculum reform. Highlights • Progressive principles appear in Indonesian curriculum policy but rarely shape classroom practice• Independent Curriculum introduces experiential and participatory moral learning structures• Dewey–Freire theoretical synthesis frames reflective and socially aware character formation Keywords Progressivism Philosophy; Character Education; Indonesian Curriculum Policy; Critical Pedagogy; Moral Education

ABSTRACT This study aims to map global trends in peace education research using a bibliometric analysis approach. Using data from 381 articles in the Scopus database (2015–2024), this study analyzed publication trends, author contributions, institutions, as well as the distribution of research themes. Bibliometric methods enable an understanding of publication distribution, citation patterns, and collaboration networks. The results show significant growth in the number of publications, with the United States as the most productive country (102 publications), followed by the United Kingdom (56 publications). The University of Cambridge was the institution with the most contributions (13 publications), while Zembylas, M. was the leading author with 12 publications and 142 citations. The Journal of Peace Education dominates with 109 publications. Research themes include clusters such as critical education, decolonization, post-conflict peace, and global citizenship education. The findings provide a comprehensive overview of the dynamics of peace education, reveal the contributions of important authors and institutions, and identify research gaps. The study highlights the relevance of peace education in dealing with global conflicts and promoting tolerance through integrating various critical and pedagogical approaches. As such, it encourages cross-disciplinary collaboration to strengthen comprehensive peace education efforts.

ABSTRACT This article explores how education can move beyond technocratic adaptation to the climate crisis toward planetary Bildung grounded in justice and democratic agency. We propose a Critical Transformative Ecopedagogy (CTE) framework drawing on four theoretical sources: Vygotsky’s cultural-historical theory, Freire’s critical pedagogy, Freinet’s cooperative schoolwork, and decolonial analysis of epistemic injustice. CTE organizes practice around four strands — Critical-Decolonial, Systems, Affective-Ethical, and Place-Dialogic — and three conceptual rhythms moving from problematization to historicization, mediated analysis, and public address. The paper advances a critique of ‘net-zero’ and competency framings that depoliticize knowledge; first principles for designs that legitimate plural epistemologies and political emotions; and assessment criteria emphasizing mediation, public usefulness, and collective praxis. Policy implications include reauthoring standards around decolonial literacies, protecting time for dialogic pedagogy, and building governance that realizes student agency. CTE offers an actionable framework for reorienting education toward plural, just, and habitable futures.

African philosophy of higher education is an evolving field of discourse. As a distinctively African contribution to critical pedagogy and global philosophical discourse in higher education, there is a paucity of literature for researchers to reference as a starting point to further their discourse. Much of what has been written about education so far involves the cultivation of autonomous action, moral instruction, iteration in higher pedagogy, and responsible action towards the public good or the harmonisation and promotion of collective interests. To address this paucity of research, we propose a need to rethink the African philosophy of higher education, including critical pedagogy from an alternative framework. We begin by presenting an overview of what constitutes an African philosophy of higher education in existing literature. From there, employing the method of conversational analysis, we critique the colonial foundation of higher education in Africa in its current organisation. We then deploy the same method to present a trivalent logico-ontological model of higher education as an alternative framework that can transform learners into creative, critical, and independent thinkers. We conclude by considering the potential impact of such a trivalent logico-ontological model of education on the future of African philosophy of higher education and its role in shaping critical pedagogy in and beyond Africa.

ABSTRACT There exists no reliable empirical research on anti-colonial critiques of religion education (RE) in Africa South of the Sahara (ASoS); therefore, this article uses the African Anti-colonial Analytical Framework (AAcAF) as a novel theoretical lens in critiquing neo-colonial embeddedness in the RE of ASoS. It exposes how colonial epistemologies continue to malign non-normative and diverse ways of knowing and further explains why this problem has persisted in RE despite its provision existing in a post-colonial educational environment. The article calls for epistemic equality in dealing with the complexities of religious diversity in RE aligned with democratic principles governing the political state in post-independent Africa. To counteract the colonial status quo, the article presents anti-colonial strategies that can turn decolonial rhetoric into anti-colonial praxis in the RE of ASoS.

This article critically analyzes the impacts of educational platformization and the financialization of teacher training in Brazil, linking these processes to the transformations of digital capitalism after 2008. From the field of critical agrarian education, it investigates how business logic and corporate governance models have redefined the role of public institutions, teachers, and curricula, especially through the actions of corporate foundations, EdTechs, and private organizations within public policies. Through a qualitative methodological approach, with an exploratory and analytical character, the text denounces the advance of an algorithmic pedagogy, guided by goals and indicators, which depoliticizes teaching work and empties its emancipatory dimension. In contrast to this trend, the text recovers the theoretical and political foundations of Latin American critical pedagogy, highlighting the legacy of Paulo Freire, the conception of the teacher as an organic intellectual, and the contributions of Southern epistemologies. It values the role of public universities and federal institutes as territories of resistance and affirms the importance of teacher training programs anchored in rural social movements, such as PRONERA and Saberes da Terra. It concludes that resisting platformization does not mean rejecting technology, but rather disputing its meanings and uses from a rooted, critical, and territorialized perspective. In times of deepening neoliberalism, training teachers committed to social and environmental justice also means training individuals of resistance and hope.

ABSTRACT Anchored in the moral – intellectual tradition of China’s educational landscape, this study conceptualizes peace education as a transformative pathway for EFL teacher preparation. Drawing on Confucian virtue ethics, Freirean critical pedagogy, and Noddings’s ethics of care, it develops the Chinese critical onto-pedagogical model, which integrates ontology, epistemology, and praxis. Employing hermeneutic narrative inquiry, the study explores how pre-service English teachers cultivate empathy, moral reflection, and intercultural awareness through dialogic and reflective pedagogies. Findings indicate that peace-oriented EFL education reconfigures language teaching as a form of moral praxis rather than merely technical training. Theoretically, the study contributes a culturally grounded yet globally resonant paradigm for decolonizing peace education. Practically, it offers an ethical blueprint for re-humanizing teacher education in the emerging era of artificial intelligence and algorithmic rationality.

This essay examines the application of Design Justice Principles within an interior design capstone studio to advance decolonizing approaches in design pedagogy. Informed by critical pedagogy and spatial theory, the studio employed participatory co-design practices with two BIPOC-led nonprofit organizations in North Omaha, Nebraska. Through iterative engagement and reflection, students explored power, equity, and inclusion in design. Analysis of reflections and community feedback revealed increased critical awareness, empathy, and culturally grounded, community-responsive design solutions. Findings demonstrate that co-design fosters spatial agency and social responsibility, positioning interior design education as a catalyst for equity and systemic change.

This study examines the conceptual correlation between critical cognition and national affiliation among higher education students with disabilities in Saudi Arabia, responding to contemporary educational transformations. Its significance arises from the urgent need to develop an analytical framework linking these paradigms in accordance with Saudi Vision 2030 objectives, which emphasize solidifying national values and moderation across all student demographics. The study aims to analyze the theoretical dimensions of this relationship and elucidate the role of inclusive university environments in empowering these students intellectually and socially. To achieve this, the Conceptual-Analytical Approach was employed through a comprehensive critical review of educational literature published between 2015 and 2025. Abstract concepts were deconstructed to identify their core attributes and synthesized into an integrated theoretical framework. Findings revealed an integrative relationship based on three interconnected dimensions: a cognitive dimension reflecting a profound understanding of self and national reality; a value-based dimension grounded in loyalty; and an empowerment dimension translating this cognition into effective practice within the campus. The study concludes that sound cognitive development is a pivotal entry point for enhancing national affiliation, and comprehensive empowerment effectively actualizes these values. KEYWORDS Active citizenship, institutional belonging, critical education, inclusive education, social integration, kingdom vision

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the CONGA game, an interactive and gamified digital tool that uses AI-generated or manually created questions with feedback, to improve colon cancer literacy among tenth- semester Software Engineering students at the University of Guayaquil. Grounded in Paulo Freire’s critical pedagogy, CONGA operationalizes the concept of “conscientização” (critical consciousness awakening) by engaging learners in dialogical reflection on medical myths and encouraging critical evaluation of health information sources. This work addresses an age group—emerging adulthood—that is often overlooked in cancer prevention campaigns despite increasing cancer incidence in this population. The game incorporates an adaptive engine that personalizes difficulty and scoring based on player performance, enhancing engagement and learning personalization. A controlled experiment compared the game-based intervention with traditional lecture-based instruction, using pre- and post-test assessments to measure knowledge gains and misconception reduction. Results demonstrated that the CONGA group achieved a significantly higher post-test correct response rate of 82%, compared to 57% in the traditional instruction group, and showed a 70.4% reduction in incorrect responses versus 42.4% in the control group. These findings indicate that CONGA’s adaptive, feedback-driven design was more effective in enhancing short-term knowledge acquisition and immediate conceptual clarification following a single session. The study concludes that, based on immediate post-intervention assessments, gamified learning represents a scalable and engaging pedagogical strategy for colon cancer literacy, particularly in our local younger population. However, these results reflect short-term learning gains measured immediately after a single session, and further research is needed to evaluate long-term knowledge acquisition.

ABSTRACT This article critically examines three persistent pitfalls that undermine the transformative potential of intercultural education: cultural uniformity, pedagogical neutrality, and presumptions of competence. These interconnected tendencies are rooted in essentialist conceptions of culture, the depoliticisation of educational practice, and the instrumental reduction of intercultural competence to a measurable skill. Drawing on critical pedagogy and decolonial scholarship, as well as empirical studies on monolingualism, assimilationism, and institutionalised hierarchies, the article demonstrates how well-intentioned initiatives often reproduce structural power asymmetries, symbolic violence, and epistemic marginalisation. It thus advocates an intercultural education grounded in critical reflexivity, political responsibility, and a sustained commitment to epistemic and social justice. Moving beyond reductive frameworks, the article advances dialogic, participatory, and decolonising approaches that interrogate dominant norms, recognise the pluriform and situated character of knowledge, and foreground the relational dynamics of interculturality. Intercultural learning is thus reframed as an ongoing, power-conscious process of negotiating difference within structurally unequal conditions rather than as the transmission of predefined competencies.

ABSTRACT Education in conflict-affected societies can reproduce division or nurture reconciliation. This study examines how evidence-based and engaged learning advance peace education in Palestinian higher education. Integrating Peace Education Theory, Conflict Transformation, Critical Pedagogy, and Student Engagement Theory, we investigate how classroom practices cultivate empathy, dialogue, and civic responsibility under occupation. A mixed-methods design combined a survey of 203 undergraduates at five West Bank universities with interviews of 10 instructors teaching conflict-related courses. Quantitative analyses (ANOVA, correlations, multiple regression) identified interactive teaching, dialogue-based participation, and critical reflection as the strongest predictors of peace-oriented outcomes, explaining 54% of the variance in empathy, perspective-taking, and civic engagement. Qualitative themes corroborated these results, emphasizing dialogue as transformation, emotional safety as a prerequisite for learning, and pedagogical challenges – and resilience – under structural constraint. Findings indicate that engaged, evidence-based strategies functions as a micro-level peacebuilding process, turning classrooms into relational spaces where ethical responsibility and critical consciousness develop. Despite political pressures, Palestinian educators use participatory methods as nonviolent resistance and civic cultivation. The study recommends institutional and policy supports that embed conflict-sensitive, participatory pedagogy across curricula to sustain positive peace.

In this article we provide a critical race theory-informed analysis of an early childhood studies programme at an English university from the perspective of the students. The article contributes to wider research on anti-racism and decolonisation in universities, since there are few studies of early childhood studies in higher education focusing on race, especially in the UK, and little research which includes student perspectives. We co-constructed a study between staff and students and drew on critical race theory, both as a lens to analyse the data and as a framework to develop an anti-racist approach to early childhood studies in higher education. Our results suggest the programme could be seen to reproduce white supremacy, understood here as a normalised system of institutionalised racial oppression and privilege, rather than a form of extremism: deeply engrained, oft subtle and potentially hard to identify. The programme does this by maintaining an assumption of whiteness and practising tokenism and essentialisation. We argue that an anti-racist framework for early childhood studies should involve an understanding of structural racism, a diversification of voices and materials, a challenge to essentialisation, engagement with inclusive and critical pedagogies and an understanding of different racial positioning.

Business schools have been accused of reproducing management practices that lead to global crises, sparking calls for greater sensitivity to critical management education. However, while there is much academic work on the need for critical pedagogy, documented practical experience of how this works in the classroom remains scarce. Drawing on our experience in designing and teaching a course that deconstructs naturalized “management commandments,” we reveal three interwoven tensions that help explain this limitation: institutional pressures, relational challenges, and personal vulnerabilities. Our analysis shows how integrating reflexivity with an exposure to experiences of alternative organizations helps to bridge these tensions, making critical management education both accessible and relevant. Our contributions are twofold. First, we illustrate how critical management can be practiced in the classroom by anchoring the scrutiny of mainstream naturalized practices in the emergence of alternative organizations. Second, we demonstrate that the tensions and contradictions of the neoliberal university are not merely obstacles, but generative forces that—when met with reflexivity—can foster deeper engagement and broaden the scope of management education.

This study investigates the integration of dialogic reflection, that of reflective practice that emphasizes the importance of dialogue in fostering in critical thinking, meaning making, and the reconceptualization of professional practices (Brown & Sawyer, 2016), with John Macmurray’s (1961) relational philosophy to address the tensions between functional and personal dimensions of education within high-performance systems. In such systems, education is often reduced to measurable outcomes and instrumental goals, sidelining the personal and relational aspects of teaching and learning. Building on Fielding and Moss’s (2010) critique of performative education, this research emphasizes the need for informal, open-ended, invitational dialogue that prioritizes person-centeredness and ethical deliberation over closure and instrumentalism. The study aims to fill a critical gap in the literature by proposing a relational, dialogic approach to reflection that contrasts with confrontational or prescriptive methods, fostering a deeper understanding of the purpose and practice of education. The research employs a qualitative design, utilising in-depth semi-structured interviews with seven language teachers (English, Chinese, and Malay) from a mainstream secondary school in Singapore. These teachers engaged in dialogic reflection, guided by critical questions about the purpose of education, the nature of knowledge, and the role of relationships in teaching and learning (Fielding & Moss, 2010). The interviews were designed to elicit teachers’ beliefs and practices, focusing on the interplay between academic goals and holistic student development. Data were analysed using Dialogic Discourse Analysis with codes derived from the dimensions of personal and functional meaning, ensuring a relational understanding of their educational practices. Key findings reveal that dialogic reflection enables teachers to: (1) critically examine and redefine the purpose and scope of language education, (2) reconceptualize well-being and personal relationships in schools, and (3) challenge the disciplinarity of language education by integrating personal and functional perspectives. Teachers reported a shift in their understanding of education, moving beyond instrumental goals to embrace a more holistic, person-centred approach. This transformation highlights the potential of dialogic reflection to foster autonomy, self-creation, and new ways of living within educational practices. The study contributes to the field by proposing a relational dialogic reflection framework that bridges functional and personal perspectives. This framework offers actionable insights for teachers, researchers, and policymakers, advocating for a more person-centred, ethically grounded approach to professional development in language education. By prioritizing dialogue and relationality, the framework challenges the dominance of performative paradigms and supports the creation of educational environments that value both personal growth and functional achievement.

ABSTRACT This paper presents a theoretical discussion on the central role emotion has gained in critical educational discourse since the end of the 20th century. After describing the dominant global agenda of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), we discuss how emotion is being incorporated into critical educational discourse, specifically: a) attempts to reframe SEL from a critical perspective; b) the emotionalised reworking of critical pedagogy’s concept of ‘conscientization’, and c) the ethical and political shifts produced by the new focus on emotion as a central aspect of educational justice. We argue that these attempts can be understood as an expression of an emotionalised ethos that favours an individualistic and fragmented view of social order. To further contribute to this debate, we introduce the notion of ‘emotionalisation of education’ to describe the manifestations of this ethos in the educational field, and to critically reflect on its ethical and political implications.

ABSTRACT Critical Pedagogy (CP) has proven to be a valuable teaching approach to strengthening democracy and social justice towards a more just education. CP challenges the status quo, amplifies students’ voices and agency and calls for socially-controversial topics to be critiqued. This pedagogical approach encourages educators to rethink embedding CP in education to harness its democratic political goals. Yet, critical pedagogical practices have become dissuaded in higher education classrooms under the forces of neoliberalism. This qualitative case study involving semi-structured interviews and direct classroom observations with six university-based Australian teacher educators revealed a range of affordances, tensions, and lingering questions concerning their understandings of CP in varied academic disciplines. They contend that applying CP in their practice is a challenging yet worthwhile intellectual endeavour, given its potential to expose and address social injustices within and beyond education in their work with future teachers. This paper explores how a CP approach can strengthen both individual and collective capacity in preparing teachers for social justice-informed teaching. The findings offer insights for international teacher educators considering CP as a modality for advancing social justice in education.

This forum piece examines the emotional, relational, and ethical dimensions of transformative learning in contemporary higher education. Drawing on practitioner experience at a research-intensive Canadian university and scholarship in critical pedagogy, adult learning, and institutional ethics, it illustrates how transformative learning is shaped and often constrained by organizational cultures, political pressures, and unfulfilled institutional commitments to inclusion. While transformative learning aspires to disrupt assumptions and cultivate more just ways of knowing, practitioners frequently encounter institutional inertia, value misalignment, and forms of institutional betrayal that complicate this work. These dynamics intensify the affective labour required of staff and faculty, often resulting in moral injury, burnout, and precarious relational work that remains largely invisible. The paper argues for a fuller recognition of the human conditions underpinning transformative learning and calls for institutional courage, relational accountability, and more sustainable structures of support.