Contribution of Paulo Freire In Education

 

Paulo Freire (1921-1997)

Brazilian educator Paulo Freire‘s is one among the most of the influential educational thinkers of the late 20th century.

Born in Recife, Brazil, on September 19, 1921, Freire‘s died of heart failure in Sao Paulo, Brazil on May 2, 1997.

He became the First Director of the Department of Cultural Extension of the University of Recife (1961-1964).

In 1988 he became the Minister of Education for Sao Paulo

Books of Paulo Freire

Pedagogy of the Oppressed. (1970)

Cultural action for freedom.  (1970)

Education for critical consciousness. (1973) 

Conscientization (1975)

Education, the practice of freedom (1976)

Pedagogy in Process: The letters to Guinea-Bissau  (1978)

Pedagogy of the Oppressed  (1993)

Pedagogy of the city  (1993)

Learning to Question: A Pedagogy of Liberation  (1992)

Pedagogy of freedom: ethics, democracy and civic courage (1998)

Politics and education (1998)

Teachers as cultural workers: letters to those who dare teach(1998) 

Paulo Freire’s Philosophy

Paulo Freire is neither an idealist, nor a realist or a mechanist. 

Paulo‘s position is near to the Existentialists who give much emphasis on Existential Man equipped with strong will power who can transform the world with his own efforts 

Paulo Freire’s view on Education

Freire believed that the educational system played a central role in maintaining oppression and thus it had to be reformed in order for things to change for the oppressed.

According to Freire, 

"a humanizing education is the path through which men & women can become conscious about their presence in the world "

Paulo Friere’s Concepts, Theories & Models of Education

Banking Education

Problem-Posing Model

Learning Circles

Dialogue

Praxis

1. Banking Education

In this form of education, it is the job of the teacher to deposit in the minds of the learners, considered to be empty, bits of information or knowledge, much like we deposit money in a [empty] bank account.

This is why Freire called this model of education ‘banking education’.

Here,

Education play role as – Act of depositing

Teacher play role as – Depositor  

Student/Learner as – Depositories 

2. Problem-Posing Model

Paulo Freire’s “problem posing concept of education” is based on his “anthropological concept of culture”

To challenge the banking education model, Freire proposed a problem-posing model of education. 

In this model, the teacher and the learner discuss and analyse their experiences, feelings and knowledge of the world together.

3. Learning Circles

The learning circle is a non-hierarchal ‘class’ model where participants can discuss generative themes (complex of ideas, concepts) which have significance within the context of their lives. 

This involves creating a democratic space where every one’s voice has equal weight age

4. Dialogue

Freire regards Dialog as the basic item in the knowledge structure

According to Freire, dialog in education is accompanied by modesty & dialogue cannot be used without modesty

Dialogue should encourage thinking critically & without fearing the dangers of the action

5. Praxis

Paulo Freire defines praxis as 

“Reflection and action directed at the structures to be transformed”

Through praxis, oppressed people can acquire a critical awareness of their own condition, and, with teacher-students and students-teachers.

Action + Reflection = Praxis (Act of Engaging )

Aims of Education

According to Paulo Freire, aims of education should be-

Power Awareness

Critical Literacy

DesociaIization

Self Education

Methods of Education

Three Steps Inductive Questioning Process -

To See : The Situation As Participants Experience.  

To Analyze  : The Situation (The Problem Tree) Why did this happen? 

To Act :  To Change The Situation

Find The Problems (Generative Themes)

participants research, background and facts about the issues

Produce The Codes (Codification)

Create a material representation ( a drawing, a video, a photo, a puppet show, an audiotape, etc. ) to capture the generative themes.

Curriculum 

From Freire’s perspective, curriculum planning is a fully people-oriented process

He believes that curriculum is an ongoing process which can be done through mutual participation of teachers and students.

According to Freire, 

Arts, Social Justice, Humanities, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, History, Physical Education etc.  should be added in the curriculum as a subjects. 

Teacher

Teacher make the student as thinkable mind

He will present the problem in such a way that the student asks questions

He should make sure that both his teaching methods & the subject matter of the teaching are worldly and related  to the life of the learner

The teacher 

Don’t  say- I am more powerfuI

Don’t have autocratic mode

Don’t control the student.