Everyday Experience and Little Changes: A Different Perspective on Big Ideas and Transformative Education
Conference 21.3
Presented by
Associate Professor Kelly Freebody
The University of Sydney
In this plenary discussion, Associate Professor Freebody will critically consider how the small teaching moments available to us as teachers, students, parents, and community members can be drawn together to build transformative education. Using Hughes’ (2017) framework for reducing prejudice in and through education, along with recent research in transformative pedagogy, she will explore the role of teachers and educational institutions in an increasingly turbulent global environment. While focussing on ‘big ideas’ Freebody argues, like Dirkx (2000), that such ideas are experienced in the everyday and that as teachers, it is our interactions with students that facilitate the kinds of learning needed to make social or personal change. The centrality of intercultural experiences, critical reflection, metacognition and empathy will be discussed, exploring their position and potential for creating little changes to how students understand and act on and with the world.
Dirkx, J. (2000). After the burning bush: Transformative learning as imaginative engagement with everyday experience. Paper presented at the Challenges of practice: Transformative learning in action, New York.
Hughes, C. (2017). Understanding Prejudice and Education: The challenge for future generations. London: Routledge.
Presenter Bio
Kelly’s research interests draw on methodological innovation and theory development in the area of applied drama for social justice – focusing on intersections between English Language Teaching, drama, social justice, education, and qualitative research methods.
Kelly is a qualified secondary drama and English teacher, with experience teaching in Australia, the UK, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Kelly coordinates core pedagogy units in The Combined Degrees in education, with a focus on creative and critical pedagogy, school-community relationships, and pedagogies of hope.
CPD points: 1
