Which approach centers on addressing power and oppression in education and promotes dialogic, transformative learning for social justice?

• A. Perennialism emphasizes timeless truths.
• B. Progressivism emphasizes active inquiry and real-world relevance.
• C. Feminist pedagogy examines gender biases and fosters inclusive participation.
• D. Critical Pedagogy analyzes power and oppression and promotes dialogic, transformative learning for social justice.

Answer: (D)

Critical Pedagogy centers on power relations and oppression in education and aims to transform learning through dialogue that challenges inequities. It builds on the idea that schooling often reinforces social hierarchies, so the classroom becomes a space where teachers and students engage as co-learners in examination of whose voices are heard, whose knowledge is valued, and how curriculum and practices perpetuate or disrupt injustice. Learning is seen as dialogic and action-oriented: students reflect on real-world injustices, discuss them openly, and move toward concrete steps that address oppressive structures. This approach emphasizes conscientization—the growing awareness of social and political contradictions—and uses that awareness to fuel transformative change toward social justice. While other approaches offer valuable perspectives, they don’t inherently foreground analyzing power dynamics and driving collective, justice-focused transformation in the same explicit way.