Considerations on the 21st Century Pedagogy

96 The shifts from diegetic and mimetic forms of discourse within the boundaries of the same paragraph or even sentence bearing transitions from narrator to character perspective marked by free direct and indirect discourse disrupted the linearity of the narrative, causing varied reader experiences. Readers found them confusing or struggled to trace their sources, indicating that such techniques demand advanced interpretive skills for full engagement with the text. Recognizing the character’s idiolect, identifying and correctly attributing naming strategies employed in the text as well as delimiting the narrator’s verbal content from the character’s when the reporting clauses or punctuation marks are missing are significant interpretative processes that help the reader restore the linearity of the narrative. Bibliography: 1. BAINBRIDGE, Beryl (1985). Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie. [Accessed: 23.10.2024] Available: https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/sites/teacheng/files/clap_text.pdf 2. BEAUGRANDE, Robert De, DRESSLER, Wolfgang U. (2002). Introduction to Text Linguistics. Longman, [Accessed: 20.10.2024] Available: http://www.beaugrande.com/ introduction_to_text_linguistics.htm. 3. CHATMAN, Seymour (1978). Story and Discourse: Narrative Structure in Fiction and Film. Ithaca: Cornell UP. 4. DIRVEN, René, Marjolijn Verspoor (2004). Cognitive Exploration of Language and Linguistics, 2nd rev. ed. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company. 5. FLUDERNIK, Monika (2009). An Introduction to Narratology. New York: Routledge. 6. SHORT, Mick (2007). Language and Style – A Web-Based Course http://www.lancs.ac.uk/fass/projects/stylistics/ [Accessed: 05.11.2024] 7. TOOLAN, Michael (2013). Coherence. In: Hühn, Peter et al. (eds.): The Living Handbook of Narratology. Hamburg: Hamburg University Press. [Accessed: 10.11.2024] Available: http://wikis.sub.uni-hamburg.de/lhn/index.php/Coherence CZU 37.04 CONSIDERATIONS ON THE 21st CENTURY PEDAGOGY Silvia BOGDAN, Master of Arts, Lecturer, Alecu Russo Balti State University [email protected] https://orcid.org/0009-0007-0127-1741 Make every moment matter. Teach fearlessly. Empower all students to live literate lives. (Gallagher; Kittle, 2018) Abstract: The study describes engaged pedagogy of the 21st century that relies on the idea of active, holistic involvement of learners and educators in the learning and teaching process. Rooted in bell hooks’ theory, engaged pedagogy is a transformative teaching approach that allows learners to grow mentally, emotionally, and socially. This pedagogy prioritizes the creation of an inclusive learning environment where learners become more independent in their studies through reflective thinking and direct participation in academic activities, collaborative projects and hands-on experiences. Thus, by immersing in engaged pedagogy, learners will be able to partici-pate in a learning process of knowledge co-creation, which will enhance the 21st century skills, such as critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration and problem-solving. The article explores the definition and essence of engaged pedagogy, the main aspects to be applied in the educational context and the role of an educator in this reconceptualized teaching and learning approach. Keywords: engaged pedagogy, engaging pedagogy, holistic, well-being, inclusive, critical thinking, creativity, autonomous learning. 97 Introduction One of the biggest challenges that the world of academia faces nowadays is directly linked to what is known as engaged pedagogy of the 21st century. Extensive studies on educational practices have been undertaken so far, aimed at discovering ways to increase student engagement and effective teaching techniques that spark up curiosity and maintain attention. All over the world educators want their lessons to be inspiring and they look for different pedagogical techniques to motivate learners and involve them into the studying process. Let us openly admit that nobody wants to be called a boring teacher performing boring lessons. We, as educators, always plan and think ahead of our teaching methods that will benefit learners and will strengthen their knowledge in a certain field of study. We incorporate multimedia and real-world examples, using interactive technologies such as games, quizzes, surveys, etc. We vary teaching styles to maintain learner attention and enthusiasm. We focus more on the instructional process with the aim of teaching the material in a more exciting way rather than on the effects and results that this instruction will have on our learners. On the one hand, it is an absolutely natural approach to instruction, yet, on the other: is it enough to refer to this type of teaching activity as engaged pedagogy of the 21st century? Are the concepts of engaging pedagogy and engaged pedagogy similar? Literature review The Online Cambridge Dictionary defines engaging as something “pleasant, attractive, and charming”; whereas engaged means “involved in something” in its primary meaning and “busy doing something” in its secondary meaning. Semantically, both concepts are distinct. Engaging aims to satisfy the learners’ need for pleasure and entertainment, where the teacher is perceived as a creative agent who maintains learners’ interest in learning. On the contrary, engaged shifts the agency from the educator to learners who become active agents in the process of learning ready to explore their own creative powers, taking responsibility for their own learning. In the context of the 21st century pedagogy we should ask ourselves: what is the fundamental role of education? Should educators entertain learners? Or should educators instruct them in a manner that is beneficial and inspiring for learners to become well rounded people and continue life-long learning after graduation? The answer is obvious. Educators should favor the second option on condition that engaged pedagogy includes the concept of engaging by default. Lent (2012) advocates the same approach to teaching, highlighting that: Engagement doesn’t mean entertainment. […] On the contrary, engagement happens when you move away from the front of the room and students fill the void by actively participating in learning the content, especially once they figure out that learning for themselves is far preferable to doing “work” for their teacher (p. 27). The idea of engaged pedagogy as a teaching approach was first introduced by the American educator, and social critic bell hooks. The author of the book Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom (1994), provides a compelling definition of engaged pedagogy that explains what an engaged educator should do to promote this type of learning and teaching in the 21st century: To educate as the practice of freedom is a way of teaching that anyone can learn. That learning process comes easiest to those of us who teach […]; who believe that our work is not merely to share information but to share in the intellectual and spiritual growth of our students. To teach in a manner that respects and cares for the souls of our students is essential if we are to provide the necessary conditions where learning can most deeply and intimately begin (1994, p. 13). The scholar provides a liberal and inclusive view to education claiming that engaged pedagogy is “progressive, holistic education” (1994, p. 15). It goes beyond mere instruction 98 and fosters growth, self-actualization, based on Maslow’s theory of human motivation to achieve one’s highest level of performance (Patnaik, 2021), which can be fulfilled through critical thinking collaboration, communication and creativity, the set of skills that are aligned with the paradigm of the 21st century 4Cs. A key takeaway from hook’s theory is the idea that engaged pedagogy is holistic and views learners as “whole” human beings, as a unity of the mind, the body and the soul. Thus, engaged pedagogy does not prioritize only intellectual growth but also cares for emotional, spiritual, and physical well-being of both learners and educators, who should actually continue to grow personally and intellectually. The concept of well-being, which came into pedagogy from positive psychology in the late 1990s, is strongly advocated by hooks. Seligman defines well-being “as a construct” (2012, p. 14) that helps people succeed in life: “well-being is a combination of feeling good as well as actually having meaning, good relationships and accomplishments” (2012, p. 25). His PERMA theory consists of five measurable elements: positive emotion, engagement, relationship, meaning and accomplishment (2012, p. 24). Related to pedagogy, well-being directly influences learners’ academic success, personal development, the motivation to study and progress, the level of satisfaction with what they learn and the positive relationships with peers and educators. It is not an easy task to accomplish. Educators have to take into account that all learners are unique and need individual approaches to succeed in their learning paths. Therefore, they cannot apply the same standard teaching procedures and techniques all the time. They should look for enrichment experiences to deepen their understanding of the requirements of modern pedagogy and achieve selfactualization. Taking care of learners’ well-being and providing supportive and inclusive environments for them ensures the implementation of engaged pedagogy. When applied correctly, engaged pedagogy offers engaging, meaningful, and adaptive learning practices, thus validating learners’ opinions, recognizing their voices, experiences and emotions that contribute to the development of fully-fledged specialists. Given the fact that engaged pedagogy is seen as “the practice of freedom” (1994, p. 20) according to hooks, it is also a way of teaching that encourages learners’ direct participation and contribution to designing relevant course content, realized through active collaborative involvement, critical thinking and discussion. Authentic and effective teaching practices require engaging with each learner, which only enhances learners’ chances to make mindful choices and speak out loud during classes. It makes them question what, how and why they study. Therefore, engaged educators should be able to explain the importance and the benefits that learners will get from attending their courses. In their turn, learners should be able to recognize the connections between the course material and their real-world experiences beyond the classroom environment. That means that 21st century educators should be more openminded and approach their teaching with creativity, flexibility, thoughtfulness, a careful consideration of the learning objectives and outcomes and listen to what their learners’ opinions. It is obvious that dialogic communication plays a central role in engaged or participatory teaching, as it enables learners to explore the meaning of their learning experiences and find answers to different academic challenges. The educator “has to link awareness with practice” (hooks, 1994, p. 19), making the learning process intentional and meaningful for them. Engaged pedagogy sticks to the idea that learning should be connected to the lived reality, bringing the real world into the classroom. It would mean to provide foundational knowledge and include critical discussions, debates stemming from real life events based on the analysis of media and social content such as podcasts, blogs, news, movies and multiple case studies in addition to regular textbooks. Educators should pay attention to what learners have to say, and last, but not least, make them understand how this knowledge might be furthered and applied in practice. 99 Working with different learners, educators should be socially conscious about their learners’ backgrounds and the type of influence they might have on their learning paths. Engaged pedagogy is always inclusive and praxis-oriented. It builds bridges for all learners to communicate effectively, even if they have to deal with conflicts that may arise because they do not share the same perceptions of the world. Rather than silencing the conflict through traditional classroom techniques, educators may use these moments as an opportunity for learning. Ideally, they should encourage conflicting learners to express their perspectives fully, emphasizing the importance of active listening and empathy. By allowing learners to voice their emotions and experiences openly, educators can transform a conflict into a collective learning experience. This approach will encourage learners to see themselves as active participants in their education, fostering intellectual and emotional growth, empathy, freedom of expression through dialogue and critical thinking to mediate conflicts and form new opportunities for acquiring knowledge. The critical thinking approach requires learners to do much reflective thinking, giving them the possibility to meditate on their feelings, on their own learning paths, particularly, what and how they learn, what their contribution to the learning process is and the choices they make. All this put together fosters deeper engagement with the learning process and helps them to become more self-directed independent learners. Pink (2011) supports this idea and claims that “human beings have an innate inner drive to be autonomous, self-determined, and connected to one another” (p. 73). Engaged pedagogy strives for autonomy in learning, which empowers participants to be more accountable for what they study and educators to be more responsible for what they teach. Hooks argues that “this demand on the student part does not mean that they will always accept our guidance. This is one of the joys of education as the practice of freedom, for it allows students to assume responsibility for their choices” (1994, p. 19). Engaged pedagogy is collaborative in nature and collaboration is an essential element of learning together and from each other. Rooted in Vygotsky’s (1978) theory of social constructivism, particularly the zone of proximal development, learning becomes engaging when learners interact in social environments to construct meaning and learn through participating in social activities. Social constructivism highlights the importance of working together in the learning process, which is a key aspect of cognitive constructivism. Vygotsky (1978) claims: “The level of actual development is […] the level at which the learner is capable of solving problems independently. The level of potential development (the “zone of proximal development”) is the level of development that the learner is capable of reaching under the guidance of teachers or in collaboration with peers. […] The level of potential development is the level at which learning takes place” (p. 85). Referring to the pedagogical dimension of collaboration, Guglielmo (2010) aligns with Vygotsky’s ideas and provides evidence that collaborative learning yields significantly better results compared to competitive and individual learning. It promotes the development and use of learners’ advanced cognitive abilities. Moreover, collaboration means mutual support and participation that should be provided by everyone involved in the learning experience, which explicitly conveys the idea that learners are active participants in the educational process. What is the role and task of educators who have embraced engaged pedagogy as a way of teaching? At present, engaged pedagogy regards the educator not simply as a traditional teacher, but as a co-participant, co-learner, encouraging dialogue and critical questioning during classes. An educator's primary responsibility is to facilitate dialogue and create a supportive safe atmosphere for learning, instead of taking control of the classroom. This requires educators to prioritize the learners’ and their own well-being, be vulnerable, selfaware of their strength and limitations. The wide-spread misconception that an engaged 100 educator has nothing to do, but make learners work on their own or facilitate discussions, or assign written tasks for students is completely erroneous. On the contrary, engaged pedagogy demands much careful planning and reflections on the part of the educator. Gallagher and Kittle (2018) agree in their work “180 Days: Two Teachers and the Quest to Engage and Empower Adolescents” that the primary task of an educator is to get involved in thoughtful decision-making. In a similar vein, Lent (2012) considers that educators “who engage in a cycle of planning, action, and reflection discover the challenges and rewards in what they expect their own students to do” (p. 8). Preparing teaching activities for every class enables educators to develop a “progression from lower to higher orders of complexity” (Lang 2021, p. 15) of thinking in their learners through their active participation in the classroom assignments, helping them process, analyze, and apply information and provide appropriate feedback. Moreover, a mindful educator will always teach learners to connect what they learn with their learners’ needs and the outside world. Such an approach to learning requires educators to set up the necessary framework for teaching through scaffolding and activities that will direct learners to fill in their knowledge gaps, create meaningful connections through peer explanation, peer evaluation and interaction. Lang (2021) assumes that “the process of creating connections lends itself to collaborative exercises that can revitalize the classroom and inject some fun into learning” (p. 109). Thus, the purpose of this engaged teaching is to foster meaningful and deep learning through introducing gradual and manageable changes in the instructional strategies. Conclusion To conclude, engaged pedagogy pursues larger goals to achieve deep learning through a symbiosis not only of intellectual engagement but also emotional, spiritual, and physical wellbeing. It is the 21st century holistic pedagogy where the whole person is considered in the learning process and where the educator creates a dynamic and effective learning environment. Engaged pedagogy is immersive pedagogy that emphasizes mutual responsibility, care, and the desire for self-actualization. Engaged pedagogy aims to change education by making it more interactive, collaborative, and welcoming, pushing against the established traditional teaching that takes place in traditional classrooms. It allows learners to interact more and work together in understanding the significance of their learning, overcoming academic challenges. It empowers learners with a sense of agency over their education, giving them choices and opportunities to convey their voices that shape their learning experiences. The foundation of engaged pedagogy lies in the belief that both teachers and students ought to pursue their own personal and intellectual development. References: 1. Cambridge University Press. (n.d.). Cambridge Dictionary. In Cambridge Dictionary. Retrieved October 14, 2024, from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/ 2. Gallagher K.; Kittle, P. (2018). 180 Days: Two Teachers and the Quest to Engage and Empower Adolescents. Publisher: Heinemann. 3. Guglielmo, T. (2010). Networked Collaborative Learning: Social Interaction and Active Learning. Woodhead Publishing Limited. 4. hooks. b. (1994). Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom. Routledge: New York / London. 5. 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