Critical Pedagogy in Postgraduate Classroom: Students’ Perspectives

Abstract

Postgraduate classroom, in pedagogical discourses, is a physical space
where learners can interact with their teachers and other learners, where
they can share their experiences, ideas and knowledge, and put them into
action for their individuals and collective change. This paper examines
whether postgraduate classroom in Pakistan provides learners with the
opportunity to widen their intellectual horizon through interactive
learning and prepare them for jobs in the competitive knowledge based
economy or equip them with ‘inflated credentials’. The data informing
this study were gathered during fall 2015 semester from 20 (10 MS/M.
Phil and 10 Ph. D) scholars at two public sector universities of
Islamabad. Drawing on qualitative data, the paper employed Foucauldian
discourses analysis as the key methodological and theoretical tool for
understanding how postgraduate students describe their learning
experience. Analyzing the data with the insights from Foucauldian
discourses analysis (FDA), the paper explores a number of concerns,
including the constitutive and constituted nature of teachers’ practices
and teachers’ ideology. The study findings suggest that majority of the
universities’ teachers are preachers rather than teachers. The paper
stresses for the recognition and application of critical pedagogy in our
postgraduate classroom. Based on the study findings, the paper suggest
that postgraduate scholars should be treated as intellectuals who will
engage in dialogue with their teachers and their peers to test their ideas
and knowledge against the ideas and opinions of their teachers and class
fellows