Foundations of Social Justice in International Higher Education (Hybrid, Oct. 2 – 30)

Reflect critically on international higher education from a social justice perspective. Hybrid course (synchronous/asynchronous) beginning October 2 to October 30, 2023. 3 synchronous sessions on Mondays.

What you’ll learn:

• Knowledge of the major readings, research, and theories of critical pedagogy and social justice
• How to apply theories to international higher education issues such as inequalities, disabilities, gender, racism, peace and education, environmental issues, literacies and intercultural practices across the world
• How to propose an idea of change to transform practices into socially just ones

This course includes:

5 weeks/modules
3 synchronous class sessions over Zoom
2 asynchronous weeks, self-paced
8 articles/readings
2 critical summaries
Proposal for Change
Final oral presentation and feedback
Numerous additional readings and resources

This course is ideal for:

• Practitioners and researchers in international education
• Leaders, faculty, and future leaders
• Graduate students in the field
• Those making a career transition to international education
• Teachers or Learning Designers
• Anyone interested in critical pedagogy and social justice issues

This course will reflect critically on international higher education issues from a social justice approach. Drawing on theoretical contributions from critical thinkers in the field of critical pedagogies (e.g. Freire, Giroux, Darder, McLaren, hooks, Torres, among others), the course will invite participants to propose an idea of change to transform their practices into socially just ones. Based on their own experiences as teachers, educational administrators, practitioners, academics, etc, the participants will take part in collective discussions with peers and instructor to co-create meaningful spaces of critical reflection.

Faculty: Silvia Espinal Meza

Silvia Espinal Meza earned a B.A. in Sociology and a M.A. in Human Development by Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP). Silvia has an extensive work experience in the educational field from the roles of lecturer, researcher and consultant in her native Peru. For the last 10 years, she has been engaged in educational projects from a critical perspective including frameworks from the Sociology of Education, International Education and Human Development for analysing educational issues. She is currently a PhD candidate in Education at the University of Bristol (UK) and Teaching Fellow leading a lectureship on Education inequalities at the University of Bath (UK). Silvia is a sociologist interested in critical perspectives to understand education and social justice. Her doctoral research focuses on the narratives of social justice and critical pedagogies from the voices of teachers in rural Peru.

Approach:
Following critical pedagogical foundations, the course will promote participant’s engagement with their peers and with instructors to critically reflect on different educational issues associated with (but not limited to) inequalities, disabilities, gender, racism, peace and education, environmental issues, literacies and intercultural practices across the world. The course will enrich students’ critical faculties and knowledge of social justice approaches to education drawing on their own diverse experiences.

Learning Objectives:

• To review the foundations of the social justice approach in education and its practice through critical pedagogies.
• To critically discuss educational issues associated with (but not limited to) inequalities, disabilities, gender, racism, peace and education, environmental issues, literacies and intercultural practices both in the Global North and Global South
• To design a proposal for change to the social justice practice based on participants’ experiences as teachers, researchers, practitioners, educational administrators, representatives of social movements, etc using the critical concepts learnt in the course.
• To learn and enrich from a diverse group of participants and experiences from across the world.

Course Preview:

Reading list:
Each week offers both a set of key and additional readings to support learning. Please do the key readings each week and review the additional materials and use your own discretion to decide which may resonate with your own work/practice/research. Note that this is a non-exhaustive list of critical pedagogies contributions inside and beyond
classrooms. If you are interested in more resources and specific recommendations, do not hesitate to ask the instructor.

Assessment:
The evaluation will consist of an oral presentation (individual) during the final session based on a brief proposal of teaching/professional practice transformation. It expects that participants incorporate at least two theoretical concepts from key thinkers reviewed in the course to support their proposals. Participants can choose the presentation format freely, with an aiming to produce a 10–15-minute exposition. This will be followed by collective feedback from the instructor and participants.

There are also two critical summaries due (Weeks 2 & 3) which contribute to the oral presentation.

Course Schedule Overview (see the “Curriculum” Tab for more information on each week’s topic and readings):

Questions? Contact Us

globaledinbox@gmail.com