What is Emancipation

This chapter explores the critical learning experiences of 12 L.E.A.D. students pursuing a Bachelor of Education. Among all 10 of the Bachelor of Education courses taken by this group of students, the L.E.A.D. course was consistently cited as being one of the most valuable critical learning spaces. The analysis revealed that two main pedagogical approaches were perceived as instrumental to the critical learning experiences taking place in the L.E.A.D. course: 1)Agency opportunities, and 2) the enactment of a legitimate power on behalf of the L.E.A.D. professors. Various aspects of each of these two pedagogical phenomena are discussed in detail. While not a panacea for overcoming the neoliberal policies and practices of higher education, the philosophy and curriculum of L.E.A.D. coalesced with these two pedagogical phenomena and created a space for critical reflection, active listening for understanding, and mutual respect between teacher candidates and critically minded their professors.