Problem Posing (Critical Pedagogy)
The issue of problem posing in the context of critical pedagogy, is the stance offering to learn students to identity and articulate a problem, which they themselves have in a given context as part of the learning process. Such a teaching method not only induces the development of critical ability but it also gives students emancipation that they interact with societal challenges. Besides, it is a way of involving students in the active learning process.
Problem posing is important in education since it is transformative from passive learning to active engagement. Through allowing students to set up their questions and problems, teachers on the other way can promote critical thinking skills and motivate learners to be the ones in charge of their learning path. A good illustration is a history class, where students might analyze the consequences of historical events in their community and thus develop their understanding of the topic and its relevance to their lives on a deeper level.
Problem posing is an inquiry and dialogue-based teaching method, which is different from the traditional methods that focus on rote memorization and passive reception of information. In common environments, the instructor is the prime mover who usually drives the content, on the other hand, problem posing is the live direction offering to the students to seek questions and explore problems related to their experience. Such as, instead of just learning about environmental issues, they would see if they could find and investigate the local pollution problems and propose solutions, which would make the learning more contextual and meaningful.
Problem posing in classroom can be a scenario in which a science teacher evokes students to identify a local environmental issue, for example littering in a park nearby. Later, students would search the reasons and results of this issue and work in groups to create a public awareness campaign on the matter. By so doing, they learn not only scientific but also civic responsibilities, and see the true applicability of their studies to real life.
The concerns that educators may need to deal with in the implementation of the problem posing are also the opposition of the students who are used to the traditional way of learning, and the struggle of leading discussions without giving them the direction. Furthermore, teachers should be good at taking on different views and creating safe conditions for the open discussion. For instance, during the debate on social justice, teachers have to face the challenge of discussing delicate subjects while giving the chance to utilize all the voices that need to be heard and respected.