The Freirean Approach to Adult literacy Education

Seminar paper from the year 2009 in the subject Psychology - Intelligence and Learning Psychology grade: A ( Atlantic International University ) course: Master degree Program language: English abstract: The Freirean approach to adult literacy education centre on learners' cultural and personal experiences. Freirean was the name for Brazilian educator Paulo Freire the approach is also referred to as the problem-posing approach (Auerbach & Wallerstein 1987;Wallerstein 1983) the psycho-social approach (Hope Timmel & Hodzi 1984; Fargo 1981) the learner-centered approach (Anorve 1989) the liberatory approach (Shor & Freire 1987; Facundo 1984) and the participatory approach (Jurmo 1987). It has been used in the developing world in successful native and second language literacy projects sponsored by governments and international voluntary organizations in both rural and urban settings. In the United States many community-based organizations have used the approach in their nonformal educational programs for developing basic literacy in English native languages other than English and English as a second language. Because the Freirean approach goes by a number of different names and Freire's ideas have had such an impact on adult education internationally there are many literacy educators in the United States who have incorporated elements of the approach into their teaching without realizing that they have been influenced by Paulo Freire. In Freirean terms culture includes how people labor create and make life choices (Wallerstein 1983 p. 5). Culture is not a static set of customs religious beliefs social attitudes forms of address and attire and foods; rather it is a dynamic process of transformation and change laden with conflicts to resolve and choices to be made both individually and as a community. Jurmo (1987) categorizes Freire as an exponent of literacy for social change because Freire argues that unjust social conditions are t