Turning Experiential Education and Critical Pedagogy Theory into Praxis

Abstract

The educational theories of experiential education and critical pedagogy intersect in a number of ways. One of the intended aims of both of these pedagogies is that the purpose of education should be to develop a more socially just world (Itin, 1999; Kincheloe, 2004). One of the key issues still facing experiential education theory and critical pedagogy is its implementation within the post-secondary classroom. There is a lack of congruence between the pedagogical theories that are espoused and the actual classroom practices that are employed. The purpose of this article is to explore some of the ways for experiential educators and critical pedagogues to begin engaging in a more purposeful classroom praxis that acts on the theoretical underpinnings of these pedagogies as one means to work toward their shared vision of a more socially just world.