| Popis: |
This research explores how criticality is perceived, experienced and translated into the everyday practices of critical management educators. Fifteen semi- structured interviews and two observations of practice of key scholars in the field were conducted to answer the following research questions I) What factors have contributed to the adoption of this management philosophy by critical management educators? 2) How is criticality perceived by critical management educators? 3) How does this alternative management philosophy translate into the professional practice of critical management educators? When we question what and how we teach it has the potential to open up new questions to be explored and insights to be revealed. This research has exposed a side of management education that is ever present in the philosophy and practice of critical educators. The research found that there was a common theme about criticality relating to questioning taken for granted assumptions about management and its practices. However, distinctions were made between those whose interests where more theoretically, politically or practically oriented. From the findings two critical educator types emerged. These were the critical experientialists and the critical traditionalists. The results of the study revealed that a) critical educators are oriented towards either the content or process of their practice b) the educators who focused more on the process of their practice used action learning as a teaching methodology c) some of the challenges of teaching in this way are to be expected and part of the learning process d) the role of the tutor is paramount in creating the environment both conceptually and physically where critical learning can evolve. This research has provided an understanding of the critical classroom with different educators' backgrounds, conditions of practice and perceptions. In the context of current debates in the field of business such an exploration is both timely and relevant for today's educators, students, managers and ultimately society. |
