Abstract
This qualitative content analysis (QCA) of art research aims to determine how academic writing manifests activism and develops critical writing pedagogy. Supported by the Freirean ideology of critical pedagogy and art activism, analysis shows that art researchers' activism is built through their connection with social realities and role identification necessary to construct concrete plans and actions addressing those inequalities and oppressive practices. Ultimately, art could serve as a form and platform for social change. Achieving these becomes instrumental in constructing a solid concept of critical writing pedagogy, specifically characterized by transformative and sustainable writing practices. The results further proved that romanticized activism may occur in a pedagogical radicalization necessary to define activism as a meaningful engagement with change.
TopIntroduction
With the criticisms of activism in the academic community, the elite and the ivory tower do not seriously act to provide space for such active engagement (Flood et al., 2013). In effect, the activists' ideological stance to examine oppressive practices has failed to achieve curricular and instructional “diversity, equity, and inclusion” as part of the education reform (Mcclure, 2021, p. 53). In the Philippines, activism and revolutionary approaches to pedagogical practices are considered threats to sustaining harmony in the educational system (Salayo, 2023a). This is contrary to some legal bases of the country that support teachers' union activism, such as The Education Act of 1982 (Batas Pambansa 232, 1982), the Guidelines for the Exercise of the Right to Organize of Government Employees, Creating a Public Sector Labor-Management Council, and for Other Purposes (Executive Order 180, 1987), and The Magna Carta for Public School Teachers (Republic Act 4670, 1966). To elaborate:
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The Education Act of 1982, Section 10 (Right of All School Personnel) allows teachers to “establish or join, maintain labor organization of their choice to promote their welfare and defend their interest.
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Rule II (Coverage of the Right to Organize) of the Amended Rules and Regulations Governing the Exercise of the Right of the Government Employees to Organize according to Executive Order 180 of 1987 states that “it is the policy of the State to promote the free and responsible exercise of the right to organize by all employees in national government agencies and their regional offices, attached agencies and their regional offices, state universities and colleges, government-owned or controlled corporations with original charters, and local government units, through the establishment of a simplified mechanism for the speedy registration of employees' organizations, determination of representation status, and resolutions of intra- and inter-employees' organization disputes. Only accredited employee organizations shall have the right to represent the rank-and-file employees in collective negotiation and for the furtherance and protection of their interest and improvement of public service delivery.
- [3]
Article VI (Teacher's Organization] of the R.A. 4670 (Magna Carta for Public School Teachers), Section 27 provides “public school teachers the right to freely and without authorization both to establish and join organizations of their choosing, whether local or national, to further defend their interest.
Besides legal references, theory-based philosophies of teaching and classroom practices have flaunted critical and revolutionary teaching strategies and approaches to be implemented or integrated with the instructions, i.e., critical pedagogy, critical education theory, theory of social justice, feminism and queer theory, social constructivism, deconstructivism, including some relevant teaching approaches and models, such as inquiry-based learning, and deschooling society that all center on student-centeredness. In the end, student empowerment becomes the ultimate goal of Philippine education. Indeed, the slogan “Para sa Bata; Para sa Bayan” (For the Learners; For the Country) becomes a guiding principle of every teacher. This student-centeredness supports the Department of Education's mission: “to protect and promote the right of every Filipino to quality, equitable, culture-based, and complete basic education.” The education agency also envisions that every Filipino would “enable them to realize their full potential and contribute meaningfully to building the nation” (Department of Education, n.d.). Parallel to this mission and vision, the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 that institutionalizes K to 12 programs also adheres to some of the standards and principles in developing the enhanced basic education curriculum: (a) learner-centeredness, inclusivity, and developmentally appropriate (b) relevant, responsive and research-based; (c) culture-sensitive; (d) contextualized and global; and (e) constructivist, inquiry-based, reflective, collaborative and integrative [pedagogical approach] (Republic Act 10533).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Critical Language Pedagogy [CLP]: It is the critical approach to language teaching, including its micro-skills, i.e., speaking, writing, reading, and listening, that liberate students from social contradictions, dominance, or marginalization. Henry Giroux presents his CLP principles as (1) education as a political subject, (2) ethics as central to education, (3) differences between teachers’ and learners’ identities, (4) curriculum and classroom can be challenged and questioned, (5) criticality is not only a critique of knowledge, but also a creation of new forms, (6) rejecting objectivity in favor of truth, knowledge, and reason, (7) critical pedagogy is both a language of critique and a vision of a better world, (8) teachers are transformative intellectuals, and (9) critical pedagogy celebrates voices of learners as empowered subjects ( Pennycook, 2017 ).
Empowering Education: Ira Shor defines this as a radical habit of thinking, reading, writing, and speaking, which are relevant and practical even in the growing pedagogical practices. Influenced by Freirean ideology, he includes the following characteristics of empowering education: participatory, problem-posing, dialogic, democratic, affective desocializing, researching, interdisciplinary, and activist, which fit the present study (see Table 2 ) .
Conscientization: It means critical consciousness introduced and popularized by Paulo Freire, a Brazilian educationist. It is a process of understanding social realities, contradictions, inequalities, and the like necessary to create transformative actions.
Art Activism or Artivism: It pertains to both artists' and arts' non-violent approach to expressing criticisms, developing social consciousness, and achieving social change using different art forms and styles ( Williams, 2022 ).
Critical Writing Pedagogy: It is the writing practices in language [or other disciplines] classroom that treats writing as a tool, approach, or strategy to conscientization, where learners construct themselves as significant members of the community to identify and address social conflicts, contradictions, and differences to meet just and humane society.
Banking Model of Education: It refers to the traditional classroom system, practices, or approaches where teachers act as depositors of learning. Hence, they sustain their dominant roles as producers and activators of knowledge because they are the subjects of the learning process/production. On the other hand, learners are passive entities who receive the deposited knowledge. Their passivity sustains their role as listeners, followers, and spectators.
Critical Writing: Anchored with critical [language] pedagogy, it refers to a reflective text based on the learners' multiple perspectives and voices, influenced by their authentic stories, experiences, and dialogic engagements, which invite critical thinking and action to connect to social realities.