Illuminating the Pedagogical Odyssey: Perspectives of Iranian EFL Educators Grounded in the Principles of Critical Pedagogy

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of TEFL, Payam-e-Noor University, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Critical Pedagogy (CP) is a prerequisite for a democratic society where pedagogy empowers teachers and learners to be both socially reasonable and knowledgeable. It is a novel and rather minimally investigated motif, being rarely noticed in the Iranian educational system. Recognizing the importance of fostering critical thinking and active engagement within educational settings, the current study intended to investigate perspectives on critical pedagogy among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers with different academic degrees and language backgrounds. Following a qualitative research design, a semi-structured interview was conducted with 18 EFL teachers to provide information on their perspective of CP to identify the challenges against CP awareness and solutions towards a balanced CP. Grounded Theory (Strauss & Corbin, 1990) as a thematic analysis approach was followed for the purpose of qualitative data analysis. The results showed that although teachers were aware of the importance of critical pedagogy, they did not have the freedom to put it into practice. The findings yield implications for teachers, students, and educational systems, highlighting the need for greater emphasis on CP in the Iranian context.

Keywords

References

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Iranian Journal of Applied Language Studies
Volume 16, Issue 2
October 2024
Pages 157-176

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