Abstract

Freire developed his theory and practice in community literacy courses in Brazil and although his work has had global influence, critical pedagogy’s relevance in the Arabian Gulf remains unexplored.  The present study examines the role that critical pedagogy—student-centered teaching wherein agency and critical thinking are fostered through open inquiry and exploration of social and cultural issues connected to everyday life—plays in the English writing and research courses offered at three private Universities in the United Arab Emirates.  Freire wrote, “I don’t want to be imported or exported.  It is impossible to export pedagogical practices without reinventing them.” Just as English-language institutions often reinvent broader aspects of curriculum from the West to adapt to local culture, so too do practitioners of critical pedagogy need to adapt Freirian philosophy to avoid colonial, uncritical mindsets.  The investigators focus their study on student experience, culture, and critical thinking.  The study relies upon teacher surveys, interviews with course directors and program administrators, and analysis of teaching artifacts.  The ultimate goal is to attempt to introduce critical pedagogy in English writing and research courses in the UAE in order to shift from passive rote learning styles to more creative, transformative methods.

How to Cite:

DeGenaro, W. & Raddawi, R., (2017) ““I don’t want to be imported or exported”: Critical pedagogy and the English writing and research course in the UAE”, International Journal of Critical Pedagogy 8(1).