Critical Pedagogy and Beyond

In this paper I deal with critical pedagogy's historical contribution to the contemporary debate on the alternatives to schooling. In particular, I analyse Paulo Freire's method and its actual applications, and I suggest an interpretative framework to evaluate its successes and its limits. Furthermore, I consider a critical analysis of critical pedagogy based on a teaching/facilitating experience in a formal education setting in the United States. Finally, I contend that educational alternatives to schooling should question the pedagogical fictions of learner and teacher as theoretical generalizations of schooling practice, and should acknowledge the participative nature of knowledge building processes.