This study is to investigate Paulo Freire's philosophical background, social-cultural background, view of the world and human beings in order to examine his education philosophy comprehensively. In addition, this study discussed his education philosop...
This study is to investigate Paulo Freire's philosophical background, social-cultural background, view of the world and human beings in order to examine his education philosophy comprehensively. In addition, this study discussed his education philosophy from the viewpoint of special education to find its implications for special education in Korea.
This study is a literature review, analyzing as primary materials Paulo Freire's major books 'Pedagogy of the Oppressed(1970,1995)', 'Pedagogy of Hope(1992,2002),' 'Teachers As Cultural Workers(1998,2000)' and 'Pedagogy of the Heart(2000,2003).' The main conclusions of this study are as follows.
First, special education must be the starting point of humanization education, going beyond the education of the children with disabilities.
Second, special education should be expanded to be 'consciousness education' in its true sense so that the children with disabilities may be able to protect their rights and interests by themselves.
Third, classrooms in special school should be places of truthful conversations beyond functional and practical methodologies.
Fourth, teachers in charge of special education should not remain merely as caregivers. They must be born again as progressive teachers who strengthen students with disabilities to keep throwing questions of 'why,' to live as dignified members of the society.
Lastly, this study confirmed that what people dream in the world are to live a decent life and to love one another more readily. In the reality of special education, nevertheless, people with disabilities cannot help but struggling for their rights and interests. For the struggles to be more scientific and systematic, special education as well as educators and parents involved in special education must change. Such changes will prompt the coming of an entirely humanized society. In this sense, Freire's education philosophy gives a great lesson to special education and the lesson may need our modest courage.