Speaker
Description
This presentation reports on a qualitative study of university EFL instructors' awareness and attitudes regarding critical pedagogy (CP), a liberatory approach that positions students as co-creators and investigators of knowledge instead of passive recipients. Examples of CP practices and strategies to overcome obstacles in implementing CP will be explored. Attendees will learn how to apply CP to their own contexts to foster learner agency, equity, and engagement with societal issues in the classroom and beyond.
Abstract section 3: Content/method
This is a hybrid research-practice presentation. First, the rationale and data collection methods (surveys and semi-structured interviews of university EFL instructors in Japan) will be described. Then, the results (based on thematic analysis) will be presented, and connections to CP principles and practices will be made. With the research data as a point of entry, attendees will learn about how they might apply CP principles to their own teaching context.
Abstract section 5: References
Freire, P. (2000). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Continuum Press.
Gerald, J. P. B. (2022). Antisocial language teaching: English and the pervasive pathology of whiteness. Multilingual Matters.
Jackson, L., & Kennett, B. (2025). Critical language pedagogues in Japan: Enhancing student receptivity. ELT Journal, 79(1), 12-21. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccae024
Kubota, R. (2018). Racial, ethnic, and cultural stereotypes in teaching English. In J. I. Liontas & M. DelliCarpini (Eds.), The TESOL encyclopedia of English language teaching. Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118784235.eelt0298
Kubota, R. (2020). Critical engagement with teaching EFL: Toward a trivalent focus on ideology, political economy, and praxis. In O. Z. Barnawi & A. Ahmed (Eds.), TESOL teacher education in a transnational world: Turning challenges into innovative prospects (pp. 49–64). Routledge.
Rudolph, N. (2023). Narratives and negotiations of identity in Japan and criticality in (English) language education: (Dis)connections and implications. TESOL Quarterly, 57(2), 375-401. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.3150
Abstract section 1: Relevance
CP is highly relevant to the Japanese university EFL context, where global forces of raciolinguistic imperialism often position so-called native-speaker instructors as ideal English teachers who possess authority because they speak a certain kind of English deemed superior (Gerald, 2022). At the same time, EFL learners in Japan are often treated as a monolith (Rudolph, 2023), passive and deficient in English skills (Kubota, 2018), instead of diverse individuals with various skills, interests, and needs. CP means not only incorporating social issues into language learning, but also making it more student-centered and equitable, for a more sustainable EFL in Japan.
Abstract section 2: Contribution/research questions
This presentation's purpose is to amplify critically-oriented instructors' voices for the benefit of those interested in CP. By learning about others' pedagogical approaches and struggles, as well as how CP principles connect to real-world practice, attendees can find common ground and gain insight into their own contexts. As CP is not mainstream in EFL, the goal is to combat teachers' isolation and contribute to a supportive community of critical practitioners (Jackson & Kennett, 2025).
Abstract section 4: Outcomes/results
The data is still being analyzed, but a major emergent theme is the gap between research participants' understanding/implementation of CP and the principles and approaches found in CP scholarship. Several participants mentioned being unsure if they were "doing CP right" or how to learn more about it. Since a majority of research participants expressed interest in learning more about CP to incorporate it into their teaching practice, this presentation aims to meet the needs of such critically-oriented instructors. Thus, this presentation will help attendees identify gaps in their understanding and provide tools to engage in CP praxis (Kubota, 2020).
| Title | Critical Pedagogy: Connecting Research, Theory, and Practice |
|---|---|
| Teaching Context | College and university education |