Towards Awareness and the Limits of Thinking with Critical Pedagogy
Keywords:
transformative teacher thinking, teacher education, critical awarenessAbstract
In this review, we reflect the use of transformative study methods in the Finnish teacher education. In particular, we argue that transformative studying might increase student teachers societal understanding. As an example of transformative implementation in university field, we present the ”Lapset elämänsä valtiaiksi”
-project undertaken in the University of Applied sciences of Tampere. In this project, the target is to observe societal environment and to create critical thinking and reflection amongst the students participating in the action.
In the university field, transformative pedagogy is a relatively rarely used study method. Especially in teacher education, activities outside the school environment are rare. Furthermore, throughout teacher training curricula, societal topics like democracy and citizenship education, have a minor emphasis. Via conversation held with the long-period project manager of the ”Lapset elämänsä valtiaiksi” -project, in this review we demonstrate the philosophical and pedagogical objectives of the project. We suggest that these objectives should be emphasized more also in the teacher training.
