Abstract:
This study aimed to uncover the incorporation of transformative pedagogies into
the social studies curriculum. This educational approach aims to educate students about a
variety of forms of oppression based on race, gender, sexuality, class, ethnicity, and
culture, through the use of dialogue to uncover the students' understanding and personal
experience with these concepts. This study examined the impact of discussing these
topics in a grade 11 class of 22 White students (of various cultural, ethnic, and religious
backgrounds). The teacher, Kelvin, and two of his students were interviewed and his
class was observed on four occasions over a 2-week period.
Based on the data I collected, I argue that a range of emancipatory teaching
approaches should be used in critical classroom discourse. These different approaches
emphasize the importance of critical thinking, the ability to recognize and combat
oppression, the understanding and respect of different cultures, and the ability to
recognize the impact of gender and sexuality on the past and present. These are life skills
that extend beyond the curriculum (Freire, 1970; Giroux, 1988; hooks, 1994).
This study fills a theory to practice gap in the research literature on transformative
practice within Canadian contexts. The findings are important for several reasons. Firstly,
they illustrated how the teacher's ideology and personal history affect hislher teaching
and learning philosophies and approach to teaching. This has implications for the overall
classroom environment, what students learn, and how teachers are trained. Secondly, this
study provided a glimpse of what transformative pedagogy could look like from a
pragmatic standpoint and demonstrated the complexity of using these multiple
approaches in the classroom.
