Jun 2026· Critical Studies in Teaching and Learning· Vol 14, pp. 155-171· 0 citations
Abstract
In the face of escalating ecological crises and widening social inequalities, reimagining teacher education through eco-pedagogy becomes not only urgent but transformative. This article examines how eco-pedagogical principles can be embedded across a four-year Bachelor of Education (BEd) programme at a South African university to cultivate ecological consciousness and social justice. Framed within Freirean critical pedagogy and implemented through Participatory Action Learning and Action Research (PALAR), the study positions teaching and learning as relational, justice-oriented, and situated within the more-than-human world. The Anthropocene, understood here as both an epochal crisis and an ontological condition that exposes the interdependence of humans and the earth, provides the conceptual context. Grounded in Indigenous and situated knowledges as the ontological foundation for eco-pedagogy, the research extends the 4B model (Bridging, Becoming, Belonging, and Being) to integrate ecological awareness, ethical responsibility, and community engagement throughout teacher formation. Drawing on collaborative data from lecturers, student teachers, community members, and in-service teachers, the study proposes a developmental framework that disrupts curriculum silos and redefines teacher education as a site of ecological activism and curricular decolonisation. The article contributes to emerging scholarship that links ontological reorientation, participatory praxis, and curriculum transformation as interdependent dimensions of justice-oriented learning in the Anthropocene
Abstract This essay examines the theoretical underpinning and methodological implication of integrating transdisciplinarity into teacher education to strengthen public policy in education to address the complex socio-environmental challenges of the 21st century. Drawing on complexity theory and transformative learning frameworks, we argue that traditional disciplinary boundaries are increasingly insufficient for tackling multifaceted issues such as climate change, social inequality, and technological advancement. Transdisciplinarity, by integrating diverse knowledge systems including scientific, ancestral, and artistic wisdom, offers a more holistic framework for understanding to these complexities. This approach fosters critical thinking and problem-solving skills in teacher education, enabling them to develop innovative pedagogical strategies that bridge knowledge gaps and promote holistic student learning. The essay concludes by highlighting the crucial role of transdisciplinarity in shaping education policy that empowers teachers as facilitators of knowledge sharing and agents of positive social and environmental change.
Alex Estrada-García, Javier Collado-Ruano, Alejandra Marcelín-Alvarado· Ensaio· 0 citations
The pursuit of equity and social justice in higher education demands pedagogical approaches that transcend Western-centric traditions and legitimise diverse cultural epistemologies. This study examines Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) specifically in the Indonesian EFL context and intends to examine CRT as a pedagogical strategy and a way to problematise epistemological assumptions. Guided by the PRISMA 2020 framework and analysed through Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) combined with document analysis), this research critically examines 22 documents. The findings indicate that, although CRT is recognised in national initiatives such as the Emancipated Curriculum and Emancipated Learning, its practical implementation remains uneven and largely superficial. At the classroom level, educators attempt to integrate indigenous knowledge, cultural identities, and local wisdom into English language teaching; however, these efforts are constrained by rigid, exam-driven curricula, limited professional support, and the pervasive influence of global English standards. The tension between internationalisation and localisation illustrates both the challenges and opportunities for CRT in reshaping Indonesian EFL education. Theoretically, CRT is positioned as a decolonial stance that resists epistemic hegemony while advancing epistemic justice by legitimising the ecology of knowledge. Practically, the study emphasises the urgency of aligning policies with CRT principles, expanding teacher training, and developing culturally sustaining instructional resources. By situating CRT at the nexus of social justice, decolonization, and global competence, this study contributes to global debates on inclusive and transformative education, highlighting its significance for the Global South and beyond.
Educational institutions worldwide are increasingly embracing curriculum reform through the integration of Indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) and technology, informed by their transformative impact on teaching, learning, and pedagogical practices. However, socioeconomic disparities and limited teaching resources encountered in the rural settings of the Global South, such as South Africa, hinder this transformation. IKS and technology offer a compelling opportunity to rethink mathematics education in ways that embrace global innovations while adapting to local contextual realities. Yet, there is limited empirical evidence on teacher preparedness, specifically how mathematics teachers' demographic, contextual, and professional training influences their ability to integrate technology and pedagogical indigenisation for mathematics curriculum transformation. Hence, this paper sought to examine how mathematics teachers can reimagine curriculum transformation through pedagogical indigenisation and technology in rural South African mathematics classrooms. To accomplish this exploration, the paper draws on data gathered from 95 purposively sampled respondents. We used a quantitative approach focusing on a survey questionnaire, guided by the positivist paradigm and underpinned by the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), and data analysis was achieved through the aid of descriptive and inferential statistics. The results showed that teachers exhibit different degrees of TPACK and TAM dynamics, mediated by demographics, professional backgrounds, and context-specific characteristics. The findings lead us to argue that the transformation of the mathematics curriculum is dependent on effective, inclusive, and sustainable teacher training that foregrounds both technological fluency and cultural responsiveness. This study contributes to curriculum reform discourse by emphasizing the need for teacher preparation programs that address the complex, evolving, and context-sensitive nature of teachers' TPACK.
Makhosi Madimabe-Mofokeng, Heloise Sathorar, W. D. Nubia· Journal of education· 0 citations
This paper critically examines the teaching of History in secondary schools in rural and township contexts in South Africa, focusing on persistent learner disengagement within an increasingly digitised educational landscape shaped by the rise of Generative Artificial Intelligence. Drawing on constructivism, critical pedagogy and creativity as an integrated theoretical framework, the paper interrogates dominant pedagogical practices and historical narratives that continue to shape History classrooms amid rapid technological change. It offers a reflective and analytical discussion informed by existing scholarship, curriculum and policy documents, emerging debates on AI in education and the author’s professional experience as a History educator. It argues that traditional, teacher-centred approaches are increasingly misaligned with learners’ digital realities, limiting historical consciousness, critical thinking and relevance, advocating for a pedagogical reimagining of History teaching that foregrounds curiosity, creativity, humour, ethical digital literacy and the inclusion of multiple perspectives, positioning generative AI as a mediating tool rather than a pedagogical threat. By reconceptualising the roles of teachers, learners and knowledge resources in the 21st century History classroom, it contributes to ongoing debates on how History education can be made more inclusive, meaningful and socially responsive in the context of deepening technological and educational inequalities, particularly in under-resourced schools.
P. Nyathi· Turkish History Education Jo...· 0 citations
Contemporary curriculum debates have increasingly prioritized standards, competencies, and measurable learning outcomes, often overlooking the ethical, relational, and affective dimensions of education. This reflective article reimagines curriculum through the lens of the pedagogy of love, drawing on insights from the Indonesian madrasah context. Rather than proposing a new curriculum model, the article conceptualizes pedagogy of love as an ethical and professional orientation that informs teachers’ curricular judgement and everyday pedagogical practice. By engaging with scholarship on care ethics, relational pedagogy, and curriculum studies, the discussion argues that meaningful curriculum enactment is grounded in relationships characterized by trust, empathy, respect, and compassion. A reflective illustration from a madrasah classroom demonstrates how pedagogical decisions rooted in love can integrate academic learning with students’ emotional, moral, social, and spiritual development. The article further contends that curriculum coherence emerges not only through alignment of objectives, content, and assessment but also through teachers’ moral agency and responsiveness to learners. By positioning the pedagogy of love as a transferable curricular orientation, this reflection contributes to contemporary international curriculum discourse and offers a humanizing perspective for fostering holistic education in diverse educational contexts.
Alhamuddin, Andi Murniati, H. Herniwati· Curriculum Journal· 0 citations
Environmental education across Nigerian universities remains predominantly informational: students are told
about environmental problems and expected, on that basis alone, to develop the attitudes, knowledge, and
behaviours that address them. This paper argues that this model rests on an outdated and largely discredited
assumption — that environmental knowledge reliably produces pro-environmental behaviour — and proposes
an integrative alternative grounded in experiential, place-based, and critically reflective pedagogy. Drawing
on the theory of planned behaviour, Kolb’s experiential learning cycle, Orr’s ecological literacy and Grue-
newald’s critical pedagogy of place, Freire’s critical pedagogy, universal design for learning, Schwartz’s norm
activation model, and Gifford’s psychological barriers to pro-environmental action, this paper develops a
framework addressing three distinct but interlocking gaps in Nigerian environmental education: the absence
of experiential and inclusive pedagogy attentive to diverse learners and indigenous ecological knowledge, the
psychological and normative barriers that prevent environmental awareness from translating into behaviour,
and the disciplinary tendency to treat environmental education as content delivery rather than capacity-build-
ing for citizenship. The paper grounds its argument in confirmed empirical anchors including Kaiser, Wolf-
ing, and Fuhrer’s foundational theory of planned behaviour study, the New Ecological Paradigm scale, a
real University of Ibadan environmental awareness study, a genuine, if more cautious than commonly cited,
systematic review of environmental education outcomes for conservation, and a documented African social
work precedent for indigenous knowledge integration in environmental practice from Zimbabwe, published
in a journal indexed across AJOL, DOAJ, and Scopus. The paper advances six testable propositions concern-
ing experiential pedagogy, inclusive design, and normative barriers to pro-environmental behaviour among
Nigerian university students, and concludes with recommendations for restructuring environmental education
around experiential, inclusive, and psychologically realistic foundations.
Mina Margaret Ogbanga· International Journal of Soc...· 0 citations