AAACE 2021 Annual Conference

critical dialogue, content analysis, graduate education, syllabus

Critical dialogue, a socially constructed learning process, exposes learners to marginalized differences and hegemonic assumptions. Numerous universities acknowledge a need for learning spaces where critical exploration of events can occur. Using content analysis, we examined graduate course syllabi to better understand how educators integrated critical dialogue skills in their classroom.

Numerous colleges and universities have made great strides in creating learning spaces where learners can have critical exploration of events (Haber, 2020). However, several educators have made little to no progress in teaching learners to become critical thinkers during their learning experiences at the academy (Arum & Roksa, 2011). Literature suggests that students can become critical thinkers through critical dialogue to examine biases and assumptions and gain a deeper level of understanding of their lives and the lived experience of others (Freier, 1970/2018; Marchal, 2007). Critical dialogue is a socially constructed learning process in which adult learners are exposed to diverse thinking, personal assumptions, and daily complexities and uncertainties (Schien, 1993; Brookfield, 1986, 1990, 1998; 2012: Marchal, 2007). Haber (2020) suggests that educators fail to integrate critical dialogue instructions because of the 1) lack of intentionality, 2) lack of consensus on a definition, and 3) false ideology that teaching critical thinking skills minimize the academic content. Using content analysis, we examined course syllabi to better understand how educators integrated critical dialogue skills in their courses, specifically in graduate courses. Furthermore, a discussion of the findings with the extant literature will be provided with implications for practice.