"Beyond the Basics: A Critical Literacies Approach in Practice and Its Tensions with Functional Literacy Pedagogy"

This project explores an example of critical literacies pedagogy in action, focusing on a middle school classroom where students analyzed media coverage of social justice issues to identify bias, power structures, and representation. In this setting, the teacher encouraged students to question dominant narratives and create their own counter-narratives through digital storytelling. The strength of this approach lies in its emphasis on student agency, critical thinking, and real-world relevance, fostering deeper engagement and social awareness. However, it also presents challenges, such as the need for skilled facilitation, potential controversy around sensitive topics, and limited alignment with standardized assessment frameworks. When compared to functional literacy pedagogy—which focuses on decoding, fluency, and comprehension for practical communication—critical literacies extend beyond reading and writing skills to interrogate how texts shape and reflect power relations. While both approaches value literacy development, functional literacy often prioritizes technical proficiency and neutrality, whereas critical literacy foregrounds context, ideology, and transformation. This comparison highlights the different educational goals and assumptions underpinning each approach.