PEDAGOGY

The teacher plays a pivotal role in practicing critical classroom pedagogy, how can this practice be more democratised?

There is an urgent need to rethink teaching-learning especially at a time when it ends up alienating students and depriving them of the happiness and pleasure that must ideally accompany the educational pursuit.

Bell Hooks is known for her feminist thought and interesting work on pedagogy as an art. Here is a passage from her well known work where she shares with her readers her passion for the field of education and why she cannot remain a distant and aloof teacher.

Innovative Pedagogy must be at the heart of education. How can this be made possible in the most adverse of situations that often characterize schools in India with little infrastructural support? Amidst these circumstances can a child-centric pedagogy really be designed and implemented to suit our own specific socio-cultural needs?

The educational discourse of Gandhi, Freire and Dewey remind us of the multi-faceted debates on the meaning and significance of education in the society.

Dramatics as an important pedagogic tool helps revive the classroom space. 

Throughout India teachers use the ‘Question & Answer system’ of imparting knowledge, since imparting knowledge is considered synonymous with teaching.

Just like adults, children too have a very strong sense of self-dignity. Our education machinery and the process of classroom transactions may often lead to a situation where the learner’s dignity is compromised upon. The article that follows argues that respecting and giving voice to the learner’s sense of dignity should be a critical priority of meaningful education.

In this thought provoking article the author has reflected on pluralism and dialogic education.

Paulo Freire occupies a significant place in any discussion on critical pedagogy. Here is a piece that explores the relevance of his ideas in our times.

On the occasion of Henry Giroux’s birth anniversary we are happy to publish the extract from his article titled ‘Crossing the Boundaries of Educational Discourse: Modernism, Postmodernism and Feminism’. The New Leam believes that Henry Giroux is one of the leading critical pedagogues of our times, and his sharp reflections on culture, polity and education remind us of the discontents of the neo liberal notion of market-induced/skill-oriented learning.