Analyzing the Degree of Consensus in Current Academic Literature on Critical Pedagogy

Critical Pedagogy is a philosophy and approach to education which has influenced theory and practice for almost 50 years, most recently in the fields of Applied Drama and performative pedagogy. However, what exactly is understood by Critical Pedagogy in the 21st century is unclear, and whether its roots still align with the ideas and practices of its progenitor Paulo Freire is uncertain. Therefore, this systematic review of literature aims to explore the interpretations of Critical Pedagogy presented in 100 peer-reviewed papers published in recent times. After identifying frequently emergent themes in the selected literature, which are associated with the work of Freire, this paper examines the degree of consensus around Critical Pedagogy’s transformative aim, its associated democratic classroom approaches, and the concepts of conscientization and praxis. Through this analysis, the review distinguishes a number of peripheral discussions that are related to a modern/postmodern debate within the literature. This paper concludes by asserting that there are more points of convergence than of divergence in the various interpretations of Critical Pedagogy available in the articles surveyed. We suggest that the current branching out of Critical Pedagogy has not been rendered devoid of core meanings as an educational tradition, one which holds considerable potential for the field of Applied Drama, and for other forms of performative education.