| The literature in critical theory and critical pedagogy generally lacks visualizations of classroom practice. The literature also provides little information describing the experiences which lead teachers toward critical pedagogy. This study was conducted to answer two basic questions related to the lack of detail in the literature: (a) how do critical classroom teachers consistently integrate critical pedagogy into the daily fabric of their classrooms, and (b) how did these teachers come to critical pedagogy and "make it their own?" In addition, this study investigated relationships between progressive and critical pedagogy.;Four teachers were selected by recommendations of educators familiar with critical pedagogy. The participants were interviewed at least three times. The first two interviews focused on classroom practice, the third interview focused on the participants' stories of their career journeys and the influences on their teaching. In addition, each participant was observed in class once for approximately an hour. Twenty one hours of taped interviews produced over 500 pages of transcripts which were analyzed using the constant comparative method of descriptive data analysis.;Three themes emerged to describe the experiences which led these teachers toward critical pedagogy: a non-traditional career path toward teaching, the experience of conflict with or oppression from society, and a quest for more authentic engagement in teaching.;Four themes emerged in relation to visualizing critical classroom practice: the ideal of questioning, achieving the ideal through seven elements of critical practices/projects, achieving the ideal by building contexts for critical practices/projects, and integrating critical intent and progressive means. The practices which these themes describe appear organically linked to the teachers' core values. Many of these values coincide with critical values. Three of the four participants named spirituality as an important influence on their teaching practices.;The conclusion addressed several topics: (a) issues regarding critical pedagogy and state mandated assessments, (b) changes in teacher education programs to include critical mentoring and an emphasis on the politics of education, (c) the integration of critical and progressive approaches, (d) the need for teachers to have a clear theoretical grounding, and (e) suggestions for teachers interested in integrating critical theory and practice in the classroom. The author also re-reflected on a journal he kept while trying to implement critical pedagogy in a middle school language arts class four years prior to the study. |
