Critical Pedagogy in Iraqi Kurdistan: The Role of Gender, Academic and Contextual Differences in EFL Teachers’ Awareness

Critical Pedagogy (CP) has gained increasing recognition as an educational approach that fosters critical thinking, social awareness, and transformative learning. However, its integration into English language teaching (ELT) in the Iraqi Kurdistan context remains underexplored, where traditional pedagogical methods dominate. This study examines the awareness of CP among EFL teachers in Iraqi Kurdistan, investigating whether academic degree, teaching setting, and gender influence CP awareness levels. Using a cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from ۳۹۷ EFL teachers employed in high schools, secondary schools, and universities across the region. A newly developed Critical Pedagogy Questionnaire (CPQ) was administered, and the responses were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). The results revealed significant differences in CP awareness across academic degrees and teaching settings, with BA holders and high school teachers exhibiting the highest awareness levels. Gender-based differences were also observed, with female teachers displaying greater awareness in co-construction of knowledge and adapted content, while male teachers showed higher awareness in agency and praxis. These findings underscore the need for practice-based teacher training programs and institutional support to facilitate CP’s practical implementation in ELT.

کلیدواژه ها:

critical pedagogy ، EFL teachers’ awareness ، Educational context