PAULO FREIRE

PAULO FREIRE

Paulo Reglus Neves Freire (1921-1997), the Brazilian educator and philosopher, was one of the best known  and most influencial  radical education theorists  in the 20^th century. His work has exercised considerable influence among progressive educators all over the world, especially in the context of emerging traditions of critical pedagogy, issue – based learning, and social constructivism. His impact upon peace education, adult education, non-formal education, and critical has been incalculable. He is widely regarded as the father of critical pedagogy perspective of education.

Important works:

pedagogy of the oppressed, education for critical consciousness, pedagogy of hope, pedagogy of freedom. The politics of education, education as practice of freedom.

FRERE’S EDUCATIONAL VIEWS

According to freire, the function of education is to humanize individuals through conscious action for the purpose of transforming the world. In such a process education cannot be neutral. It can either be an instrument of domination or liberation. Educative process domesticate people where there exists a dominant culture of silence. In this culture people are taught to accept what is handled down to them by the ruling  elite without questioning. Hence, their understanding of their social reality is limited is what they are taught and told to accept and believe. The following are the important constructs of freire’s educational views:

1.     Education is a cultural tool for liberation from oppression. It must give learners the tool to be creators of their own reality.

2.     Education is always a political act. It cannot be politically neutral. It can either be an instrument of domination or liberation.

3.     Education is a communion (the state of exchanging thoughts and feelings) between participants in a dialogue characterized by a reflexive, reciprocal, and socially relevant exchanging, rather than unilateral action of one individual agent for the benefit of the other.

4.     Knowledge is not a set commodity that is passed from the teachers is the students. Learners must construct knowledge from knowledge they already possess.

5.     Learning beings with action it is a process where knowledge is presented to learner, then shaped through understanding, discussion and reflection.

6.     Students should not be viewed as an empty account to be filled in by the teacher (banking system of education). Teachers should know that students have life experiences and their own knowledge that is key in shaping their education and learning.

7.    Education is a phenomenon is which educator and educatee each other through the act of education.

8.    Education is a critical understanding of reality. Reading the word cannot be separated from reading the world.

9.     The method of education must starts from the life situation and reality of people. Their life situation is made into a problem posing situation.

10.                        Educational practice is not an extension but a communication. Communication involves mutual dialogue whereas extension involves transplanting  knowledge.

CHARATERISTICS OF FREIREE’S PEDAGOGY

          The central premise of freire’s theory is that no education is neutral – it can be used for domination or liberation. His pedagogy calls for collective action continuing struggle on the part of the oppressed  to liberate themselves from  all from of domination. The important features of his revolutionary pedagogy are briefed here under:

1. Education for liberation: freire’s pedagogy is an educational plan to liberate those who are oppressed. The existing system of education is an education of demedtication. Which denies people the power to think for themselves and become architects of their own destinies. Liberating education provides the learners with a critical perception of their own social reality which would enable them to know their democratic rights to participate in social transformation.

2. Education for conscientization: freire’s pedagogy aims to cultivate conscientization or critical consciousness (critical awareness) in the learner. Conscientization is the ability to critically perceive the causes of social, political and economic oppression and to take action against the oppressive elements of society. It is a state of in-depth understanding about the world and resulting freedom from oppression.

3. Problem posing education: problem –posing is an alternative method of education suggested by frère instead of the exciting authoritarian method which he ironically called banking education. In the banking model of education, the teacher own knowledge and deposits it in students. The problem posing method is based on the principal that a student learns better when he creates knowledge and when knowledge is created for him. This method starts from the life situation and reality of learners. This life situation is make into a problem posing situation. Problem-posing offers all subject matter as historical products to be questioned rather than as central bank wisdom to be accepted. It encourages students to become active in thinking about and acting up on this world.

4. Dialogue as a pedagogical tool: freire accepted dialogue as a method of learning. Dialogue is the encounter between men, mediated by the world, in order to change the world. Dialogue is the principal tool of problem posing method. It is a co-operative activity involving neutral respect in which teachers and students learn together. It is a talk with the other, instead of talking to the other. Dialogue requires a co-equal relationship between teacher and student. It begins with the experiences of learnes.

5. Egalitarian teacher-student relations: a unique feature of freire’s pedagogy is the egalitarium, respectful relations between the teacher and learners. The teacher-student relationship is horizontal and democratic flourishing in an atmosphere of mutual acceptance and trust. In problem posing method, both the teacher and student teach and both learn. Equality among the participants of dialogue is a sine quee non condition for its success. In this  system, terms like the teacher of the students and the students of the teacher cease to exist and a new term emerges teacher-student with students-teachers

6. The co-construction of knowledge: according to freire, new knowledge is produced in the classroom from the interaction between student’s and teacher’s knowledge’s. Knowledge emerges only through invention and re-invention, through the restless, impatient, continuing inquiry learners persue in the world, with the world, and with each other. To facilitate co- construction of knowledge, teachers should respect knowledge and remain humble about the limitations of their own knowledge.

7. Praxis as a synthesis of reflection and action ( theory and practice) in the learning process: praxis means the use of a theory in a practical way.  Freire considered praxis (informed action) as the goal of problem posing education. He defined praxis as reflection and action upon the world in order to transform it. It is a complex activity by which individuals create culture and society, and become critically conscious human beings. It involves development of critical consciousness combined with social action.

8. Transformative social justice learning: freire’s pedagogy is essentially transformative learning as it fosters and develops capacities that invite people to live more meaningfully. It helps the people to question their own assumptions, belifes, feelings and perspectives to reach a deeper and richer understanding of themselves and their world.

FREIRE’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO EDUCATION

Paulo Freire is acknowledged as one of the most powerful voices in education theory and practice of our time. His reductionary pedagogical theory has influenced educational and social movements throughout the world and whose philosophical writings influenced academic disciplines that include theology, sociology, anthropology, applied linguistics, pedagogy and cultural studies. His specific contributions are the following:

1.     Freire viewed education as a deep political project oriented towards the transformations of society. This approach has been crucial to the education of many revolutionary societies in Latin America and Africa  ( Brazil, Chile, Carriboean region, Botswana, Guinea, Bissau, Nicaragua Tanzania, etc)

2.     His pedagogy starts from a deep love for, and humility before, poor and oppressed people and a respect for their commonsense. This humility and respect helped to bring the teacher and learner to the same platform where knowledge is generated and shared for the benefit of the society.    

3.     Friere made education a communion (exchanging thought and feelings) between participants in a dialogue characterized by a reflexive recepioeal, and socially relevant exchange, rather than the unilateral certain of one individual agent for the benefit of the other.

4.     Freire’s pedagogy allowed intellectuals to make useful contribution to the most marginalized people’s struggle for social change.

5.     Freire provided the conceptual tool to students and teachers with which they critically interrogate them so as to minimize their domesticating influences

6.     His revolutionary pedagogy inspired millions of students and teachers all over the world to unlearn their race, class and gender privileges and to engage in a dialogue to reach at a critical awareness of the social relatives in which they are living.

7.     His critical pedagogy demobilized people from the oppressive yoke of banking education.

8.     The dialogical problem-posing method of education, proposed by freire, is the basis of present day problem-posed learning which invites the oppressed (learner) to explore their social reality as a problem to be transformed.

9.     Freire’s pedagogy was considered in agreement with the anti-capitalist and anti imperialist movements throughout the world. Thus, it has given momentum to the movements aimed to build a more just and egalitarian society.

10.                         His insistence on dialogue and his discussion of egalitarian teacher-student relations provide the basis for peace education pedagogy.

11.                         Freire proposed dialogue and horizontal relationship between teachers and learners, and encouraged active learing.

12.                         Liberating educations, propound by freire, involves a process of humanizing people who have been oppressed. It empowers oppressed people to question their lives and their position in society.

RELATED AREAS

1.            CRITICAL PEDAGOGY

Critical pedagogy is defined as an educational methodology that seeks to increase student awareness of the hidden curriculum’s inequalities and multiple forms of oppression that exist in the society, and encourage them to take step towards creating a more democratic and equitable society critical pedagogy enables students to question and challenge domination and the beliefs and practices that dominate.

Critical pedagogy takes as a central concern the issue of power in the teaching and learning context. It focuses on how and in whore interest knowledge is produced and ‘passed on’ and view the ideal aims of education as emancipator. It considers how education can provide individuals with the tools to better themselves and strength in democracy, to create a more egalitarian and just society, and this to deploy education in a process of progressive social change.

The aim of freire’s critical pedagogy is to restore to marginalized groups their stolen ‘ voice’ to enable them to recognize identify, and give their name the things in the world.

CHARACTERISTICS OF CRITICAL PEDAGOGY

1.     critical pedagogy is based on the presumption that all education is pedagogy

2.     it provides the learner with tools to better themselves and define the world.

3.     Its approach is issue based or problem based.

4.     It provides the learner with the tools analyze critically how and on whose benefit the knowledge is construct.

5.     Critical pedagogy transforms the learner from objects to subjects.

6.     It aims to create a more egalitarian and just society.

7.     It transforms the learner from the role of a passive listens to active participants.

8.     Critical pedagogy argues for an approach to education that is rooled in the experiences of marginalized peoples.

9.     It is focused on dialogue instead of a one-way transmission of knowledge.

10.                         It envisaged a transformed world. i.e, a more democratic, more just and more egalitarian world.

11.                        Critical pedagogy needs to create new forms of knowledge through its emphasis on breaking down disciplinary boundaries and creating new spaces where knowledge can be produced.

BANKING SYSTEM OF EDUCATION

The term “banking system of education” is a phrase used ironically  by Paulo freire to describe the prevailing system of education. He called the traditional system of education as “banking education” in which teachers deposits this own knowledge to the empty accounts of students in the similar manner one operates a bank account. In this system of education the teacher lectures and the students receive, memorize and repeat.

CHARACTERISTICS OF BANKING SYSTEM

1.     The teacher teaches and the students are taught.

2.     The teacher knows everything and the students know nothing

3.     The teacher thinks and the students are thought about

4.     The teacher talks and the students listen –meekly.

5.     The teacher disciplines and the students are disciplined.

6.     The teacher chooses and enforces his choice and the students comply.

7.     The teacher arts and the students have the illusion of acting through the action of teacher.

8.     The teacher chooses the program content and the students adapt to it.

9.     The teacher confuses the authority of knowledge with his own professional authority, which he sets in opposition to the freedom of the students.

10.                        The teacher is the subject of the learning process, while the pupils are more objects. 

PROBLEM  POSING EDUCATION (PPE)

Problem posing is an alternative method of education suggested by Paulo Friere instead of the existing authoritarian and oppressing  banking education . It is based on the principal that a student learns better when he creates knowledge and when knowledge is created for him. The term problem posing is used because in this type of education the whole learning is driven by a problem that pop up from the life situation of the learners. On the other hand in problem posing education, learning always things from a problem thrown up in the classroom.  The problem is posed so that the student discover that they need to learn some new knowledge before they can solve the problem. The responsibility of the teacher is to diversity subject matter and to use  students  thought and speech as the base for developing critical understanding of personal experiences, unequal condition in society and exciting knowledge.

Characteristics of problem posing education

1.     Problem – posing education encourages students to become active thinking about and acting upon their world

2.     It involves co-creation of knowledge in which the teacher and students learn together.

3.     Dialogue is the method of problem – posing learing.

4.     Problem posing method opens doors critically analyze the hidden curriculum.

5.     The teacher just acts as a mediator and organizer, and barely comes up with any ideas.

6.     This encourages the students to think critically.

7.     It ensures egalitarian teacher­­- student relations.

8.     Problem posing ignites praxis and leads to action

9.     In the problem posing method teachers and students learn together through dialogue.

10.                        This method starts from the life situation and reality of learners.

Banking system and problem – posing system – A comparison:      

          A contrast between the exciting banking system of education and the alternative problem posing education, proposed by Paulo freire, is given below:

Banking system of education	Problem posing education
Consider educator as a process of transferring knowledge	Consider education as an act of cognition taking place through dialogue.
Teacher owns knowledge and he teaches the students.	No one is the owner of knowledge men teach each other.
Consider students as passive and inert individual learners	Consider students as interactive social learners.
Learners are involved in the   mission of  knowledge registering.	Learners are involved in the mission of knowledge creation.
It is oppressing in its nature.	It is liberating in its nature
It involves transference of available knowledge.	It involves co-constructor of new knowledge.
Characterized by vertical teacher pupil relations.	Characterized by horizontal teacher pupil relations.
Teacher – centered curricula	student –centered curricula
Decontextualized study of information.	Contextualized study of perspective
Facts learned in isolation	Facts, benefits, and questions connected.
Mainstream, canonical texts	Diverse, multicultural texts
An emphasis on memorization, and regargitation.	An emphasis on exploration and application.

PRAJITHA

NATURAL SCIENCE