On the implementation of critical pedagogy in english language institutes in Iran
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Dec 30, 2015
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Abstract
This research aimed to investigate the status quo of critical pedagogy in Iran. It focused on examining language teachers’ stances on implementing the principles of critical pedagogy in their classrooms. Also, of particular interest was the study of gender difference in practicing critical pedagogy in language institutes in Iran. At first, the Critical Pedagogy Implementation Inventory, developed by Mozaffari (2011), was administered to 116 instructors teaching at language institutes to collect the required quantitative data. In the second phase of the study, forty-six of the participants were interviewed to gather some complementary qualitative data. The researchers utilized descriptive statistics, factor analysis, Cronbach’s Alpha, chi-square, and independent samples T-test for the quantitative phase of the study, and techniques based on grounded theory in the qualitative phase. Data analysis revealed that the majority of language teachers were in favor of practicing critical pedagogy in their classrooms. However, it was found that critical pedagogy is not efficiently practiced in Iranian educational contexts and even the teachers who advocated the principles of critical pedagogy had an almost average score on the Critical Pedagogy Implementation Inventory. In fact, the teachers claimed that there were some barriers to practicing critical pedagogy in Iran. The top-down educational system, prescriptive approaches to supervision, class size, learners’ expectations, conventional teacher-student relationships, and their traditionally-defined roles were among the main hurdles that impeded an appropriate implementation of critical pedagogy in classrooms. Further investigation also revealed that there was a significant difference between male and female teachers’ stances on practicing critical pedagogy. It was revealed that female instructors tended to be more positively immersed in such implementation. Keywords: critical pedagogy (CP), educational contexts, foreign language teachers, prescriptive supervision
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MEHRPOUR, Saeed; BAHARLOO, Afsaneh.
On the implementation of critical pedagogy in english language institutes in Iran.
World Journal on Educational Technology: Current Issues, [S.l.], v. 7, n. 3, p. 172-185, dec. 2015.
ISSN 1309-0348.
Available at: <http://sproc.org/ojs/index.php/wjet/article/view/205>. Date accessed: 02 dec. 2017.
doi: https://doi.org/10.18844/wjet.v7i3.205.
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References
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Rahimi, A., Kushki, A., Ansaripour, E., & Maki, A. (2015). Critical pedagogy and materials development: Content selection and gradation. Educational Policy Analysis and Strategic Research, 10(1), 24-38.
Rashid Shah, S. (2014). Empowering EFL teachers through distributed leadership: A critical perspective on leadership practices in an educational institution. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 5 (10), 9-25.
Sadeghi, S. (2009). Critical pedagogy in an ELT teaching context: An ignis fatuus or an alternative approach? In L. J. Zhang, R. Rubdy & L. Alsagoff (Eds.). Englishes and literatures-in-English in a globalized world: Proceedings of the 13th international conference on English in Southeast Asia (pp. 362-375). Singapore: National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University.
Sahragard, R., Razmjoo, S. A., & Baharloo, A. (2014). The practicality of critical pedagogy from Iranian EFL instructors' viewpoints: A cross sectional study. International Journal of Critical Pedagogy, 5(2), 178-193.
Sarlak, N., & Vafaeimehr, R. (2014). Iranian EFL teachers' reflection on current teacher training programs. International Journal of Language Learning and Applied Linguistics World (IJLLALW), 6(1), 47-58.
Shor, I. (1992). Empowering education: Critical teaching for social change. Chicago: University of Chicago.
Simon, R. (1992). Teaching Against the Grain. New York, NY: Bergin and Garvey.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1987). The collected works of L.S. Vygotsky. Volume 1: Thinking and speaking. New York, NY: Plenum Press.
Yilmaz, K. (2009). Elementary school teachers’ views about the critical pedagogy. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 18(1), 139-149.
Akbari, R. ( 2008). Transforming lives: introducing critical pedagogy into ELT classrooms. ELT Journal, 62(3), 276-283.
Aliakbari, M., & Allahmoradi, N. (2012). On Iranian school teachers’ perceptions of the principles of critical pedagogy. International Journal of Critical Pedagogy, 4(1), 154-171.
Ary, D., Jacobs, L. C., & Sorensen, C. (2010). Introduction to research in education. USA: Wadsworth.
Crandall, J. (2000). Language teacher education. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 20, 34– 55.
Darder, A. Baltodano, M., & Torres, R. D. (2003). Critical pedagogy: An introduction. In A. Darder, M. Baltodano, and R.D. Torres, (Ed.), The critical pedagogy reader (pp. 1-26). New York: Routledge, Falmer.
Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Seabury Press.
Freire, P. (1973). Education for critical consciousness. New York: Seabury.
Gebhard, J. G. (1990). The supervision of second and foreign language teachers. ERIC Digest, ERIC Clearinghouse on Language and Linguistics (EDOFL-90-06). Washington, DC: Center for Applied Linguistics.
Giroux, H. (1981). Ideology, culture and the process of schooling. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
Giroux, H. (1983). Theory and resistance in education. South Hadley, Mass: Bergin and Garvey.
Giroux, H. (1988a). Teachers as intellectuals: Toward a critical pedagogy learning. Granby, Mass: Bergin and Garvey.
Giroux, H. (1988b). Border pedagogy in the age of postmodernism. Journal of Education, 170(3), 162-181.
Heaney, T. (1995). Issues in Freirean Pedagogy. Retrieved from:
http://www.nl.edu/ace/Resources/Documents/FreireIssues.html
Jamali, F., & Gheisari, N. (2014). Sociocultural theory in second language acquisition: Tenets and pedagogical implications in an EFL setting. Global Journal of Foreign Language Teaching, 4(2), 72-80.
Kanpol, B. (1999). Critical pedagogy: An introduction. Greenwood Publishing Group: USA.
Kincheloe, J. L. (2004). Critical pedagogy. New York: Peter Lang.
Kincheloe, J. L. (2008). Knowledge and critical pedagogy: An introduction. Springer Science & Business Media B.V.
Lantolf, J. P., & Appel, G. (Eds.). (1994). Vygotskian approachesto second language learning. Norwood, NJ:Ablex.
Luke, A. (1988). Literacy, textbooks, and ideology. London, England: Falmer.
McLaren, P. (1989). Life in schools: An introduction to critical pedagogy in the foundations of education. White Plains, NY: Longman.
McLaren, P. (2003). Critical pedagogy: A look at the major concepts. In A. Darder, M., Baltodano. & D. R. Torres (Eds.), The Critical pedagogy reader (pp. 69- 103) New York: Routledge Falmer.
Mozaffari, F. (2011). Education in hope: On the practice of critical pedagogy in Iranian postgraduate and undergraduate EFL classrooms. Unpublished master’s thesis, University of Shiraz, Shiraz, Iran.
Norton, B., & Toohey, K. (2005). Critical pedagogies and language learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Pennycook, A. (2004). Critical moments in a TESOL praxicum. In B. Norton, & K. Toohey (ed.), Critical pedagogies and language learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 327-345.
Pishghadam, R., & Mirzaee, A. (2008). English Language Teaching in Postmodern Era. TELL, 2(7).
Rahimi, A., & Asadi Sajed, M. (2014). The interplay between critical pedagogy and critical thinking: Theoretical ties and practicalities. Procedia: Social and Behavioral Sciences, 136, 41 – 45.
Rahimi, A., Kushki, A., Ansaripour, E., & Maki, A. (2015). Critical pedagogy and materials development: Content selection and gradation. Educational Policy Analysis and Strategic Research, 10(1), 24-38.
Rashid Shah, S. (2014). Empowering EFL teachers through distributed leadership: A critical perspective on leadership practices in an educational institution. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 5 (10), 9-25.
Sadeghi, S. (2009). Critical pedagogy in an ELT teaching context: An ignis fatuus or an alternative approach? In L. J. Zhang, R. Rubdy & L. Alsagoff (Eds.). Englishes and literatures-in-English in a globalized world: Proceedings of the 13th international conference on English in Southeast Asia (pp. 362-375). Singapore: National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University.
Sahragard, R., Razmjoo, S. A., & Baharloo, A. (2014). The practicality of critical pedagogy from Iranian EFL instructors' viewpoints: A cross sectional study. International Journal of Critical Pedagogy, 5(2), 178-193.
Sarlak, N., & Vafaeimehr, R. (2014). Iranian EFL teachers' reflection on current teacher training programs. International Journal of Language Learning and Applied Linguistics World (IJLLALW), 6(1), 47-58.
Shor, I. (1992). Empowering education: Critical teaching for social change. Chicago: University of Chicago.
Simon, R. (1992). Teaching Against the Grain. New York, NY: Bergin and Garvey.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1987). The collected works of L.S. Vygotsky. Volume 1: Thinking and speaking. New York, NY: Plenum Press.
Yilmaz, K. (2009). Elementary school teachers’ views about the critical pedagogy. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 18(1), 139-149.