Pedagogy of the Oppressed

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Participatory Action Research–Cooperative Inquiry and Conscientization”

In this activity, students will learn about, design, and engage in a participatory action research project.

In Chapter 2 of Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Paolo Freire says, “Apart from inquiry, individuals cannot be truly human. Knowledge emerges only through invention and reinvention, through the restless, impatient, continuing, hopeful inquiry human beings pursue in the world, with the world, and with each other.”

In the spirit of Freire, you will engage in a Participatory Action Research (PAR) project. PAR is a philosophy of research that centers those who are impacted by the research itself. It is community-based and geared not only toward uncovering information about a topic or issue, but focuses on creating an action plan for positive change. You may work individually, with a partner, or with a small group to learn about, plan, and implement a PAR project on a subject that you feel connected to.

• Learn about PAR as a model of researching, reflecting, and acting.

o “Inclusive, Community-Led Research: What is Participatory Action Research?”: This article from the Center for Justice Innovation explains PAR and provides some examples of how it has been and might be used.

• Brainstorm your own idea for a PAR project. Start with a question. Consider issues at your school or in your community. Are there problems, issues, or things you’d like to see changed or improved? In the spirit of PAR, start with what you know and care about. The goal of PAR is not only to learn about that issue, but to establish the steps toward positive change.
• Once you have established your research question, create a plan for your research. Who do you need to talk to, what else do you need to know, and how might you gather that information? Consider in-person interviews, surveys, questionnaires, etc. Additionally, keep in mind that in a true PAR project, the participants are also researchers—how might you involve those you consult in the project itself?
• Reflect on the information you have gathered. Consider trends and themes, and offer clear action steps that you (and/or others) might take to create positive change.

You will present your PAR project to the class. This can be done using a slideshow presentation, a video, or another visual aid. Your presentation must include the research question, the research plan, the findings, and the action steps you have or will take. Your presentation must also reflect on the way this project emphasized an aspect of Freire’s philosophy. How does your project connect to one or more of the unit themes of Oppression and Class Struggle, Humanism and the Pedagogy of Liberation, and Conscientization?

Teaching Suggestion: This activity can be a shorter-term activity to introduce students to the concept of PAR, or it could become a longer-term, iterative project designed to engage students within the action research cycle.

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Paolo Freire frequently discusses the relationship between the oppressor and the oppressed.

• What are the responsibilities of the oppressor and the oppressed in the quest for liberation? What is their relationship? (topic sentence)
• Analyze the role and responsibility of the oppressor and the role and responsibility of the oppressed, and discuss the relationship between the two groups in creating a liberatory space. Cite evidence from the text to support your thoughts.
• In your concluding sentences, explain how your discussion connects to the theme of Conscientization.

2. Paolo Freire presents two opposing methods of learning: banking education and problem-posing education.

• What are the differences between banking education and problem-posing education, and how do these concepts either perpetuate oppression or liberate from it? (topic sentence)
• Analyze each concept of education and the ways in which each connects to liberation and the relationship between the oppressor and the oppressed. Cite direct evidence related to each concept to support your thoughts.
• In your concluding sentences evaluate the ways that banking education and/or problem-posing education exists today.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by textual details, and a conclusion.

1. Analyze the role of self-examination and reflection in Freire’s philosophy of education as the practice of freedom. Why is this inner work necessary in order to help create external, transformative change? What is the relationship between self-examination and critical consciousness? In your essay, incorporate three direct quotes from the text to support your points.

2. Analyze and evaluate the role of dialogue in the development of Freire’s philosophies around education, liberation, and transformation. What makes dialogue authentic and, therefore, capable of liberation? How does the significance of dialogue help develop the theme of Humanism and the Pedagogy of Liberation? In your essay, cite three direct quotes from the text to develop and support your thoughts.

Multiple Choice and Long Answer Questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, exams, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. On page 11, Freire writes, “Critical consciousness, they say, is anarchic.” What is the most accurate synonym for the word “anarchic” as used in this sentence?

A) Significant

B) Ambiguous

C) Disordered

D) Purposeful

2. What does Freire cite, in addition to thought and study, as an important factor in the production of Pedagogy of the Oppressed?

A) Observation

B) Imagination

C) Creativity

D) Meditation

3. What best describes Freire’s attitude toward the process of self-liberation?

A) Skeptical

B) Optimistic

C) Curious

D) Certain

4. What best describes Freire’s overall voice in Chapter 1?

A) He shows consistent skepticism.

B) He is overconfident in his beliefs.

C) He has strength in his convictions.

D) His assertions lack confidence.

5. What is the meaning of the word “sonority” as used in the following sentence from Chapter 2: “The outstanding characteristic of this narrative education, then, is the sonority of words, not their transforming power.”

A) A lasting lesson

B) A deep sound

C) A drawn-out noise

D) A collective hum

6. Which of the following is not a practice of the banking process of education?

A) The teacher listens and the students share as equals.

B) The teacher teaches and the students are taught.

C) The teacher is all-knowing and the students are ignorant.

D) The teacher chooses and the students comply.

7. Which of the following best describes a “necrophilous” person?

A) One who is curious

B) One who self-reflects

C) One who challenges

D) One who loves control

8. Which of the following best defines the word “verbalism” as explained in Chapter 3?

A) Engaging discussion

B) Creative thought

C) Idle chatter

D) Irritated talk

9. What concept does Freire define as possible only if it generates other acts of freedom?

A) Bravery

B) Love

C) Community

D) Liberation

10. The process of searching for meaningful themes can best be described as which of the following?

A) Interconnected

B) Divergent

C) Collaborative

D) Individualistic

11. What group does Freire use in his example of how to use the problem-posing method of education for adults?

A) Businessmen with banking education

B) Peasants with a high rate of illiteracy

C) Women who are uneducated

D) Artists who live communally

12. Which of the following is not an element of dialogical cultural action?

A) Cooperation

B) Organization

C) Cultural synthesis

D) Self-examination

13. What best describes Freire’s attitude toward those who might say that true dialogue between people is naive and idealistic?

A) Sympathetic

B) Understanding

C) Firmly refuting

D) Frustrated

14. How does Freire define “living death” in Chapter 4?

A) Life that is denied its fullness

B) Oppression toward lower classes

C) A lack of self-awareness

D) Students in banking education

15. Which of the following best describes a leader who does not act dialogically?

A) Misguided

B) Oppressive

C) Confused

D) Powerless

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating textual details to support your response.

1. How does Freire discuss the process of the oppressor working toward freedom, and what does this process require?

2. What are generative themes and how do they connect to “limit-situations” and “limit-acts” to create truly liberatory education?