5.5 Findings on Relationships of critical pedagogy and effective teaching[ivl1]
This study shows the important contribution of critical pedagogy in promoting media analysis skills of undergraduate students with significant differences in the data of the teacher and student’s journal, questionnaire, interview, focus group discussion and class observation. The interventions in teaching methods and the changes in role of teaching were supported by the theory of critical pedagogy. It even encourage students to dwell from unawareness to awareness, from unthinkable to thinkable and from shallow thinking to critical thinking. The achievement reflects on student’s cognitive, attitude and behavioural changes towards media as well as in the culture and the world they live in.
As I already mentioned in Chapter 4 of this thesis, ‘banking education’ resists ‘problem-posing education’ as it unveils reality; thus, making them critical thinkers (, 2000: ). Based on ’s philosophy of critical pedagogy[ivl2] , students’ critical thinking can be more enhanced through problem-posing since students are already given questions from the start while further developing their critical attitude through interaction with other students and teachers. As evidenced, students confidently gain a critical through problem-posing process of critical pedagogy. continued that this concept is also applicable to problem-posing with regards to learning to name while reflecting critically and taking actions later (2000:). Based on the ’s theory, ‘to learn to name’ and ‘to reflect critically’ might pose problems on effective teaching and learning. In addition, there will be also a need to consider different contexts such as culture, politics and education. The finding proves to be effective towards teaching and learning in media literacy but with less effect when applied to praxis or even in students’ daily life. Most students are powerless and feel insignificant. The[n3] subjectivity[ivl4] on critical pedagogy seems to hinder students in Taiwan towards acting upon a situation. Thus, Taiwanese students opted to react only to those situation that they feel is of urgent need for a reaction. In praxis, critical pedagogy is essential to life applications. With this regard ‘critically acting upon’ changes few students’ behaviour towards critical thinking. Though the process will take long, there are evidences of change on student’s cognitive, behaviour and attitude which shows the effectivity of teaching and learning in some way.
For the teaching method used in interaction and dialogue, the finding showed that students enjoy interactions more than lectures. Many students stated that once conversation started, different views vary critically and that students did not thought that they could as much from each other. As stated, “students are not self-taught; hence, teaching must be mutually applied from one to another” (2000:) It is the effect of teaching methodology followed by the posing-question education. In his previous work (1972), along with other educators such as (1997), and (2000), stated that dialogue is the road leading to real communication between students and the world; it is a process of constant change—one that is never completely static—and one which requires adaptation in a never ending but highly-liberating struggle. This worldview, which I already mentioned in previous chapter, supports the finding on situation in the classroom when students are subjected to interact; students learn things more from interaction and dialogue more than lecture. It is indeed acceptable that true dialogue cannot exist unless the participants engage in critical thinking which discerns an indivisible solidarity between those who perceive and live reality as an active process without fear of the risks involved (, 2000:). sustained ’s claim stating that dialogue will develop greater critical literacy abilities compared to an authority style teaching (1997; 2005). Based on this research, the difference is that students enjoy dialogue without paying much attention on acquiring knowledge from academic books or information in their daily life.
Many scholars argued some degree of authority in the classroom is necessary for educative processes and freedom development. Specifically, ’s concept of non-authoritarianism does not mean indulgence without limits and should be employed with some level of authority (2000:). It seems to encourage teacher’s practice of non-authority teaching in the classroom while it also affect students with indulgence easily. Students were always delayed to submit their TV diary and did not really care to study more since the teacher didn’t set up clear principle with them from the start since the degree of non-authority was considered and determined by the teacher. This finding proved that non-authority affects the result of teaching and learning. It gave students more confidence to share their experience, however, it also gave them the reason to pay less attention to submit their work and acquire knowledge autonomy. The challenge for the teachers is how to praxis non-authority properly to empower students based on the spirit of critical pedagogy in the classroom. Other factors to consider are the scenario where individual teachers apply non-authority in the classroom of students with different emotions and psychological abilities as well as the degree of authority or non-authority applied.
In connection, individuals lack emotional functions (, 1992) and that student empowerment through a teacher, who is in patriarchal society, seems to limit emotion as stated (:). It is difficult to deny the domination seems to exist in the classroom, whereby through whatever the teacher says is perceived to be the proper way to instill the concept of what the teacher wants to persuade. The finding showed that many students were aware that teacher convinces them towards being critical; on the other hand, the students might question why there is a need to be critical and why the teacher’s view with regards to persuasion of her concepts on what she wants to instill to the students. As (1992) has argued, “the position of the critic here is based on essentially rationalistic assumptions” (as cited in , 1996:). Base on ’s assumption, students argued why always being critical is needed when it is already a rational assumption and is it possible to take an alternative view to look at the issue in a non-critical way. Indeed, as (1989) stated, ‘relations of domination’, the role of teacher and the approach applied has been questioned and critiqued in many ways. Thus, many factors affect the results of teaching and learning. In the process of teaching, the role of teacher is not simply just to fulfil the theory of critical pedagogy since many factors affect the process.
Based on the theory of critical pedagogy, its application on life experiences would be successful on experience-sharing between teachers and students since students are experts at directing their peers; therefore, experience becomes the source of knowledge for conceptualizing curriculum in the classroom (, 1997; 2005). On the link between life experiences and the theory of critical pedagogy, many scholars found that teachers use a lot of popular public discourse as topic of curriculum design while also students share a lot of experience to contrast discussion in the classroom. Applying their experiences for discussion is vital for the theory of critical pedagogy, but once it was linked and practiced to daily life, only few students can influence and apply the concept. As discussed earlier, critical attitude could be acquired but individualism resists unfairness through action. Thus, students chose not to act on certain conditions though they know to themselves that they possess a critical mind.
Moreover, I already cited that critical ideology’s consciousness manifests itself as not only striving to obtain knowledge, but must also combine praxis, action and reflection (, 1970). Applyirng these three processes as well as explanation and change are crucial since the aim of critical thinking is not only to evoke consciousness, but most significantly, to take action in order to resist inequality, especially with groups. This finding seems to be more for critical attitude rather than action. Students, apart from few, made changes on viewing television in a critical manner while positively influencing their family member or friends in reality. In fact, to take action with their critical thought means to move forward to overcome students’ powerlessness and insignificance. So, action is less applied either individually or by groups. Students often think they are surviving for themselves, that is enough, no any big desire to change the world. In short, they agree on the importance of media literacy concept though it not necessarily mean that they need to take any further action. Further, teacher use popular culture as a foundation of education praxis to help students understand and change the current status of culture (, 1994). In fact, students does not resist nor condemn popular culture in practice. They just think that they are more than obliged to do what they want. In some way, it seems to win back their subjectivity but actually they are more dominated by unfairness but to no avail, students are not doing anything to change their situation. Coldness and carelessness are the students’ common reaction on unfairness in their lives. Although they still take action less effectively, evidences that they acquire knowledge on critical attitude and knowing how to resist it once they thinks it is necessary to react are enough.
Applying the philosophy of critical pedagogy in classroom and country is challenging and problematical in context. Authority teaching is generic among Taiwanese students. However, the concept of non-authority teaching seems to easily indulge students without paying too much attention on their study. Interaction and dialogue is effective when applied to students to gain critical attitude but ‘stillness’ often happens on few students who are acquiring and adopting the Chinese culture in general. Not all students are able to join interaction class teaching and learning. One student even said, lecturing is far more enjoyable than talking in the class. Base on above case, keeping quiet in the classroom reveals the low degree of critical thinking of the students, though there could be a bias on this finding. Critical thinking supposedly must be base on knowledge but students are not inclined towards reading or watching news, what more when it comes to discuss issues in the classroom. In addition, lecturing on giving knowledge on what had happened this week consumes time and what happen on TV seems too much in the classroom. Thus, the challenge for the teachers, with respect to this process, is[n5] the application of the theory of critical pedagogy in classrooms through teaching methods which incorporate posing questions to understand what had happened on television more clearly rather than lecturing.
As discussed before, the ever-changing[n6] education and classroom cultures, with relative dominion of politics and culture, is the goal of developed and applied critical pedagogy for education; but in praxis, theorists still need to focus on adjusting to different contexts in order to further determine its impact and effectivity in teaching and learning. On this note, I agree when (1994) said that “educational critics would be better advised to concentrate on the contingent realities and technologies of school rather that pursuing illusory theoretical principles” (as cited in , 1996:).
Introduction
The information age placed enormous importance but severe consequences for the people. Technologies and information are responsible for big changes in economic, education, infrastructure, legal and social constructs among others. Though the mass media and telecommunications blur the information processes, the world and the societies per se are faced with challenges in keeping pace with these so-called changes; thus, the relationship of individual, society and media must be understood and protected by every citizen. So that, information through media would not be neither manipulated nor take advantaged of by politicians and other groups with malicious intents.
Rather than focusing on its adverse effects in humanity, people must first seek to understand the power of media, its impact and influence on the society to further enhance its function. With this regard, it is essential for every citizen to position themselves towards media-protection. This chapter, in lieu, will discuss the standpoint of media in contemporary society most especially the television which invaded our lives for over half a century now. The paper also investigates the role of television, the consequences of the growing importance of television and the television’s influence on attitude, cognitive and behavioural aspects of individuals. The people’s ideologies toward media and the practice of smart media and television viewing are also explored in this paper.
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