Theories and Theorists

Critical pedagogy is a fluid term that has shifted and changed over time. It has been shaped by a variety of philosophical strains and continues to be transformed through the work of contemporary scholars who expand upon its insights, using the work of past educators as a "jumping off point" to meet contemporary challenges in new and innovative ways.

Nevertheless, it can be useful to trace some of critical pedagogy's predominant influences and the concepts that continually reemerge in critical pedagogy scholarship. To that end, I have produced four"snap-shots," which taken as a whole are designed to provide a general, albeit incomplete picture of a few key theories and theorists that have shaped critical pedagogy over time.

An Important Theoretical Precursor: The Frankfurt School Although early critical pedagogy was shaped by a variety of philosophical strains--most notably Existentialism, Catholicism, and Marxism--the influence of the Frankfurt School, and the "critical theory" that emerged from it, clearly marks the work of the most renowned critical pedagogue, Paulo Freire, and continues to inform the work of many critical educators today.
Central Figure: Paulo Freire Brazilian educator Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed popularized the educational ideas that later became known as "critical pedagogy."
Postmodernism Postmodernism's focus on the play of difference in linguistic and social systems and its deconstruction of absolutes and foundationalist principles have posed a challenge to Freirean critical pedagogy. Some critical educators, however, have attempted to construct a form of critical pedagogy that is informed by a more postmodern theoretical framework.
A Contemporary Critical Pedagogue: Henry A. Giroux Giroux, professor of education at Penn State, is perhaps the most well known critical educator today.