This paper examines Henry Giroux's critical pedagogy, and explores the interconnections among education, democracy, and hope. Whereas critical pedagogy rejects foundationalism, it still requires a normative foundation to criticise oppressive situations and pose a vision of the future. Giroux rejects foundationalism and regards oppressive force…

We analyze tweets authored by educators during the COVID-19 pandemic, which Ibram Kendi has called a viral and a racial pandemic, and illustrate how Whiteness feeds the blaming of children and communities of color for trauma. We evaluate tweets that: (1) misused trauma-informed teaching practice in ways characterized by White saviorism; (2) pushed…

Purpose: The present study explored experiences of former markers of undergraduate assignments and examinations at the University of South Africa (Unisa). Methodology: Qualitative method of research was used to gather data. Colaizzi's method (1978) was used to analyze and interpret data. The article's frame of reference was informed by Mezirow's…

Critical Race Theory (CRT) has provided academia a theoretical framework to engage in a conversation and explore the lived experiences of people as they are impacted by the endemic nature of racism. The creation of subsets within CRT have made space for minoritized populations in ways that are specific to them. The author proposes the creation of…

Drawing on Pepetela's novel "The Generation of Utopia," the article situates and dissects the role of a group of intellectuals within a radical critical curriculum river, working towards a more just society and education, and enhancing a utopian generation. The article emphasizes the erroneous persistence of intellectuals associated with…

This article traces three key critiques (insufficient consideration of emotions, insufficient attention to social interaction, and insufficient theoretical foundations) of Mezirow's theory of transformative learning in the field of adult education, with emphasis on discussions that have played out in the pages of the "International Journal of…

This research examined theory based teaching processes of science teachers to understand the mechanism by which theory and practice were connected. Four science teachers desgined lesson plans by applying the empirical-abductive learning cycle (EALC) model and modified lesson plans through a collaborative interview with the researcher. Data were…

Many educational philosophers have criticized the shift from lifelong education to lifelong learning. Gert Biesta, in particular, claims that learning individualistically promotes 'learnification', that is, a pernicious politics at the expense of relational educational experiences. While I endorse many of his critical points, I have argued that…

In this commentary, we argue that literacy research would be more productive if researchers had a clearer, more nuanced understanding of theory. Specifically, we argue that theory in a practice-oriented field is most fundamentally productive when it provides instrumental guidance for literacy beyond academic understanding about literacy. Premises…

What education should children and youth be offered about climate mitigation choices? Drawing on critical pedagogy, political ecology, and environmental justice, I here suggest the elaboration of a critical climate education that would provide citizens with knowledge and skills to respond to the climate crisis with responsible action. I argue that…

This article explores the importance of sustaining a rich and vibrant discourse of theory to inform the practice of adult education. Beginning with a brief overview of factors that have shaped the development of theory in adult education, the article then explores reasons why educators may not spend as much time teaching and learning about theory…

A conceptualization of multiple-choice exams in terms of signal detection theory (SDT) leads to simple measures of item difficulty and item discrimination that are closely related to, but also distinct from, those used in classical item analysis (CIA). The theory defines a "true split," depending on whether or not examinees know an item,…

While there is widespread agreement about the need to evaluate professional development, actual evaluation remains rare, despite the fact that K-12 school districts invest in professional development as the main mechanism to grow teacher practice and improve student learning. This article explores research literature about why current mechanisms…

Developmental theorists use their research to generate philosophies on children's development. They organize and interpret data based on a scheme to develop their theory. A theory refers to a systematic statement of principles related to observed phenomena and their relationship to each other. A theory of child development looks at the children's…

This paper explores two prominent strands of inquiry within new materialism -- Deleuze and Guattari's assemblage thinking and Karen Barad's agential realism -- and situates them in relation to language studies. While a singular definition of new materialist scholarship is not feasible, we argue that the selected approaches have potential to come…