Critical Pedagogy as a Tool for Resistance in the Neoliberal University?

Research shows that academics in the neoliberal university experience increased workload, pressure to perform, and to attain funding for their institutions, which affects their mental health and leads many to leave the profession altogether. This study analyses whether Critical Pedagogy enables academics to resist the neoliberal university from within, by implementing approaches that teach students to think critically about their surroundings so they can begin to challenge the political system that negatively impacts not only on higher education but society as a whole.
The research involved in-depth interviews with eight academics who self-identify as having some affinity with Critical Pedagogy. The aim was to gain a sense of their understanding of Critical Pedagogy, their use of it in the classroom, and their perception of its usefulness in their role as educators within the neoliberal university. The findings were interpreted using thematic analysis through a critical realist lens, thus the research does not only present the participants’ reality, but also highlights underpinning structures and mechanisms that produce these experiences.
The findings illustrate the various different ways the participants understand and enact Critical Pedagogy in their classrooms, highlighting the vastness of a field that has grown and developed over more than five decades. They also highlight the importance of connecting what is learnt within the classroom to wider socio-political movements outside the classroom and the academy in order for it to have a meaningful impact on society. While those interviewed believe there to be some level of opportunity for Critical Pedagogy to be transformative and emancipatory for students, they all acknowledged the limitations the neoliberal university imposes on academics who work within it and cannot afford to lose their jobs. Thus, while this research cannot change these conditions, it clearly highlight the structures present in the academy that restrict academics’ potential to achieve what they intend to do when becoming critical pedagogues.