Pedagogy of the Oppressed

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Who is Paulo Freire, and what is his philosophy concerning education?

Teaching Suggestion: It may be helpful to define the term “pedagogy” for students as this term is included in the book’s title and is also mentioned often in discussions of Freire and his work.

• “Who Was Paulo Freire?” – This short article from The Freire Institute summarizes Freire’s educational and pedagogical philosophies. The page contains an 8-minute video for additional context of his beliefs around curiosity and critical thinking.
• “A Brief Biography of Paulo Freire” – This article from The Pedagogy and Theater of the Oppressed summarizes Freire’s early life, his pedagogy, his exile from and return to Brazil, and his lasting legacy.

2. What does the term “conscientization” mean, and how does it have its roots in Freire’s philosophy?

Teaching Suggestion: It may be helpful to present this term as one of the unit’s main themes, and you might consider introducing it as a theme that can, in many ways, encompass the other two themes of the unit.