Problem-posing education, coined by the Brazilian educator
Paulo Freire
Paulo Reglus Neves Freire (19 September 1921 – 2 May 1997) was a Brazilian educator and philosopher whose work revolutionized global thought on education. He is best known for ''Pedagogy of the Oppressed'', in which he reimagines teaching ...
in his 1970 book ''
Pedagogy of the Oppressed'', is a method of teaching that emphasizes
critical thinking
Critical thinking is the process of analyzing available facts, evidence, observations, and arguments to make sound conclusions or informed choices. It involves recognizing underlying assumptions, providing justifications for ideas and actions, ...
for the purpose of liberation. Freire used problem posing as an alternative to the
banking model of education.
Origins
Freire's
pedagogy
Pedagogy (), most commonly understood as the approach to teaching, is the theory and practice of learning, and how this process influences, and is influenced by, the social, political, and psychological development of learners. Pedagogy, taken ...
emerged from his observations and experiences working as an instructor in
literacy
Literacy is the ability to read and write, while illiteracy refers to an inability to read and write. Some researchers suggest that the study of "literacy" as a concept can be divided into two periods: the period before 1950, when literacy was ...
programs with peasant laborers in Brazil. During this work, Freire became aware of the economic, political, and social domination resulting from paternalism. Paternalism leads to a culture of silence, which keeps people from confronting their oppression. He turned this philosophy to pedagogy because "the whole education system was one of the major instruments for the maintenance of this culture of silence".
Freire's
philosophy of education
The philosophy of education is the branch of applied philosophy that investigates the nature of education as well as its aims and problems. It also examines the concepts and presuppositions of education theories. It is an interdisciplinary fiel ...
centers on
critical consciousness, whereby the oppressed recognize the causes of their oppression "so that through transforming action they can create a new situation, one which makes possible the pursuit of fuller humanity". Problem-posing education is the path to critical consciousness.
Freire's work has its roots in the
constructivist theory of learning, and specifically the work of
Jean Piaget
Jean William Fritz Piaget (, ; ; 9 August 1896 – 16 September 1980) was a Swiss psychologist known for his work on child development. Piaget's theory of cognitive development and epistemological view are together called genetic epistemology.
...
and
John Dewey
John Dewey (; October 20, 1859 – June 1, 1952) was an American philosopher, psychologist, and Education reform, educational reformer. He was one of the most prominent American scholars in the first half of the twentieth century.
The overridi ...
. The constructivist theory holds that knowledge is constructed by individuals by using their experiences, which is what Freire drew upon in developing his pedagogy. In ''Pedagogy of the Oppressed'' Freire wrote:
Education as the practice of freedom—as opposed to education as the practice of domination—denies that man is abstract, isolated, independent, and unattached to the world; it also denies that the world exists as a reality apart from people. Authentic reflection considers neither abstract man nor the world without people, but people in their relations with the world.
Philosophy
The philosophy of problem-posing education is the foundation of modern
critical pedagogy
Critical pedagogy is a philosophy of education and social movement that developed and applied concepts from critical theory and related traditions to the field of education and the study of culture.
It insists that issues of social justice and de ...
. Problem-posing education solves the student–teacher contradiction by recognizing that knowledge is not deposited from one (the teacher) to another (the student) but is instead formulated through dialogue between the two. Freire's argument concludes that "authentic education is not carried on by "A" ''for'' "B" or by "A" ''about'' "B", but rather by "A" ''with'' "B". The representation of knowledge rather than the imposition of it leads to liberation.
Method
As a method of teaching, problem-posing involves "listening ..., dialogue ..., and action". Many models for applying problem-posing in the classroom have been formulated since Freire first coined the term.
One of the most influential models is the book ''Freire for the Classroom: A Sourcebook for Liberatory Teaching'', edited by
Ira Shor. When teachers implement problem-posing education in the classroom, they approach students as fellow learners and partners in dialogue (or ''dialoguers''), which creates an atmosphere of hope, love, humility, and trust. This is done through six points of reference:
* Learners (students/teachers in dialogue) approach their acts of knowing as grounded in individual experience and circumstance.
* Learners approach the historical and cultural world as a transformable reality shaped by human ideological representations of reality.
* Learners make connections between their own conditions and the conditions produced through the making of reality.
* Learners consider the ways that they can shape this reality through their methods of knowing. This new reality is collective, shared, and shifting.
* Learners develop literacy skills that put their ideas into print, thus giving potency to the act of knowing.
* Learners identify the myths in the dominant discourse and work to destabilize these myths, ending the cycle of oppression.
Examples
The
Montessori method
The Montessori method of education is a type of educational method that involves children's natural interests and activities rather than formal teaching methods. A Montessori classroom places an emphasis on hands-on learning and developing ...
, developed by
Maria Montessori
Maria Tecla Artemisia Montessori ( ; ; 31 August 1870 – 6 May 1952) was an Italians, Italian physician and educator best known for her philosophy of education (the Montessori method) and her writing on scientific pedagogy. At an early a ...
, is an example of problem-posing education in an early childhood model.
Ira Shor, a professor of Composition and Rhetoric at CUNY, who has worked closely with Freire, also advocates a problem posing model in his use of critical pedagogy. He has published on the use of contract grading, the physical set-up of the classroom, and the political aspects of student and teacher roles.
James D. Kirylo, in his book, ''
Paulo Freire: The Man from Recife'', reiterated Freire's thought, and stated that a problem-posing education is one where human beings are viewed as conscious beings who are unfinished, yet in process of becoming.
Other advocates of problem-posing critical pedagogy include
Henry Giroux,
Peter McLaren, and
bell hooks
Gloria Jean Watkins (September 25, 1952 – December 15, 2021), better known by her pen name bell hooks (stylized in lowercase), was an American author, theorist, educator, and social critic who was a Distinguished Professor in Residence at Be ...
.
See also
*
Inquiry-based learning
*
Problem-based learning
Problem-based learning (PBL) is a teaching method in which students learn about a subject through the experience of solving an open-ended problem found in trigger material. The PBL process does not focus on problem solving with a defined solution ...
*
Problem solving
Problem solving is the process of achieving a goal by overcoming obstacles, a frequent part of most activities. Problems in need of solutions range from simple personal tasks (e.g. how to turn on an appliance) to complex issues in business an ...
*
Unschooling
Unschooling is a practice of self-driven informal learning characterized by a lesson-free and curriculum-free implementation of homeschooling. Unschooling encourages exploration of activities initiated by the children themselves, under th ...
References
Footnotes
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
{{refend
Pedagogy