Introduction
Critical pedagogy reflects on and challenges the neutrality of teaching and learning
(T&L) across levels and contexts. This philosophical approach examines the structural
matrices involved in T&L that are linked to power, privilege, and experiences. The term
critical pedagogy is most associated with the writing of Paulo Freire (1972) who
emphasised that education should be a social critique that enables people to identify
injustice to strengthen democratic change. This handbook provides a viewing point to
understand how our classrooms and educational offers facilitate and consolidate
potential areas of imbalance or injustice. Specifically, this handbook offers practical
examples of how education (in and outside of the classroom) can be delivered to
engage students, aid deep-learning and create opportunities to flourish.
This edition of the handbook specifically focuses on student engagement and
critical pedagogies in higher education (HE). Student engagement has moved on from
a focus on purely ‘disengaged’ students and instead is viewed as important for all
learners (Parsons and Taylor, 2011). Meaningful student engagement can be fostered
through the adoption of critical pedagogical approaches to learning (McMahon, 2003)
and the practice of ‘critical pedagogy of engagement’ has already received scholarly
attention (McInerney, 2009; Zepke, 2017). The practical case studies in this handbook
relate to student engagement, critical pedagogies and/or the relationship between the
two within sports HE.
Research in HE sport curriculum has not been extensive, but some literature
suggests there is a limited engagement with issues of social justice and equity. For
example, Ličen and Jedlicka’s (2022) analysis of sport management programmes in
the United States argued that there has been an unwillingness to adapt and respond
to areas of social justice that are needed to transform sport more radically in the future.
The broader scholarship on subject areas such as sports business is also dominated
by certain privileged voices (Knoppers and McLachlan, 2018) which has an adverse
effect on resourcing and supporting teaching and learning. A more critical analysis of
what is taught and how it is taught is needed to transform existing inequalities in sport,
within and beyond the classroom. HE institutes have a duty to ensure students develop
practical knowledge and skills, as well as the critical consciousness required to
challenge inequalities of power in sport.
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Sport, as a subject on HE courses, is reflective of wider social, economic and
climate injustices prevalent across society. Sport courses draw on a range of
disciplines making it a unique subject. The way in which sport is taught across degree
programmes and the content covered is of value and significance to critical pedagogy
scholars.
The globalisation of sport and the wealth and privilege afforded to some sports
and individuals provides a useful framework to understand justice and equity more
broadly. The critical way sports-based disciplines are taught and researched has
pertinence to wider issues faced by the sport sector and by society. By investigating,
examining, and reflecting upon the T&L practices within sports education there will be
valuable learning opportunities for student development and for the associated
literature and sector.