Freire's Pedagogical Theory

Introduction

Paulo Reglus Neves Freire (1921-1997) was a Brazilian educator whose revolutionary pedagogical theory influenced educational and social movements throughout the world. His philosophical writings inclined academic disciplines that include theology, sociology, anthropology, applied linguistics, pedagogy, and cultural studies (Gadotti, 1994).

Freire viewed the conception of education as a deeply political project oriented towards the transformation of society. His conception has been crucial to the education of revolutionary societies as well as established Western democracies, and his work has a significant impact among progressive educators in the West, especially in the context of emerging traditions of critical pedagogy, bilingual

His revolutionary pedagogy starts from a deep love for poor and oppressed people and a respect for their "common sense” (Darder, 2002). This humility allowed a condition of reciprocal trust and communication between the instructor, who also learns, and the student, who also teaches. In his conception, Freire insisted that the teacher is merely a facilitator in the educational situation who helps the student to overcome those aspects of the child’s social constructs that are being neglected, by assisting them to learn to think critically.

Conferring to Freire, “Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate integration of the younger generation into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity or it becomes the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world” (Freire, 1970).

The above statement is from the famous book of Freire, ‘Pedagogy of the Oppressed’, which he wrote in 1968 and published in Spanish and English in 1970. The following is a discussion of my understanding of the above statement via detailed analysis and interpretations. The information presented in the discussion is supported with relevant literature. Personal experiences are also shared wherever they are appropriate.

Discussion of the

This makes possible the intervention by students in society. As a result, these forms of critical education constantly engage in attempts to undress social structures and formations of oppression within the society. This is more successful if students imagine their future as changeable, as Freire insisted. Because, while challenging the favorable and unfavorable conditions presented to act as subjects, they learn to eliminate the unfavorable features of the present society and create a better future in their