現代アメリカ合衆国におけるP.フレイレの「リテラシー」論の受容と継承 : I.ショアの「批判的リテラシー」論とその授業実践に焦点をあてて

Abstract

This paper examines how Paulo Freire's theory of literacy education has been received in schools in the United States. It approaches this subject by concentrating on the interpretation of Freire's arguments by Ira Shor's "critical literacy" theory and on actual practice in elementary and secondary classrooms. First, this paper presents the features of Freire's theory of literacy. He developed the notions of "transformative literacy" and "emancipatory literacy", which aim to liberate the oppressed in developing countries. Second, it analyzes how Shor has adopted Freire's theory in formal education in an advanced industrial country. Shor has developed his own theory of "critical literacy" to liberate students from social inequalities by adopting Freire's concepts. Shor suggested that in order to promote students' participation in classes, it is crucial that "generative themes" and "dialogue" be emphasized. He also recognized the significance of the teacher's instructional rigor and the students' critical inquiry into the prescriptive knowledge. Third, this paper clarifies how Shor's theory is practiced in the classrooms. Finally, it is concluded that Shor has used Freire's theory as a scaffold to transform the student into an agent capable of building a truly democratic society.