Whose Knowledge and Ways of Knowing? Humanizing Education through Contextualization

Abstract

Education is a double-edged sword in that it can be used for liberation as well as oppression. In welcoming the Finfinne Journal, this paper aims to address this issue by reviewing related literature and reflecting on personal experiences as a student, teacher, teacher educator, educational researcher and education consultant in Ethiopia. The paper uses Paulo Freire's thesis on liberatory pedagogy as a theoretical lens. While more rigorous research is needed, the experiences presented here suggest that education in Ethiopia does not sufficiently target the production of liberated individuals, as defined by Paulo Freire. The paper concludes by identifying issues for future research in this area.