A teacher-student partnership as democratic laboratory for developing capabilities for critical cosmopolitan citizenship

Abstract

This research addresses the formation of critical cosmopolitan identities among students through their engagement as "pedagogical consultants” in their educational institution. It is underpinned by the belief that the aim is full participation in society, which can be achieved by teaching through democracy and providing learners with rich opportunities for participatory engagement. This qualitative study describes a teacher-student partnership for the co-creation of a course in critical intercultural communication. The course is based on the ideas of critical cosmopolitan citizenship, students as partners, capabilities, and critical pedagogy as theoretical frameworks. Using participatory action research methodology, the partnership is aimed at realising a laboratory of democratic practices to develop capabilities for engaged citizenship.
Analysis of texts generated during the partnerships (research conversations, artefacts, reflections, and praxis), highlights the salience of pedagogical themes and practices such as student voice and participation, critical cosmopolitan dispositions, reflection on the relevance of the institutional educational aims for the individual students, and a focus on praxis. Findings, identified through thematic analysis, consist of the following: 1) specific capabilities for teacher-student partnership for curriculum consultancy; 2) a critical cosmopolitan disposition, illustrating students’ development of critical consciousness; 3) a refined sense of citizenship as an ongoing process of engagement with society; and 4) the power of education through democracy as a risky but transformative process for students and teachers.
This study demonstrates that engaging students in the co-creation of a curriculum related to critical intercultural communication has value as a laboratory for practising democratic values and dispositions. Furthermore, students’ reflections on the institutional aims in relation to their vision of themselves as citizens foster the development of agency and an increased disposition in acting as change agents within their own educational setting, as well as the broader society. Overall, the study shows that the development of learners’ agentic action in society at large should be fostered within educational settings through student engagement in democratic practices.