Marxist Philosophy and Education: Exploring the Role of Critical Pedagogy in Empowering the Marginalised

Sufen Huang

doi:10.25159/1947-9417/19736

Authors

Sufen Huang School of Marxism, Suzhou University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25159/1947-9417/19736

Keywords:

educational methodology, inclusion, intellectual resources, Paulo Freire, social equity, transformative learning

Abstract

Mitigating social inequality is essential for sustainable human development. This study, drawing on data from the World Inequality Report, UNICEF, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and Chinese policy documents such as the Plan for Education Modernisation by 2035, explores the role of critical pedagogy in addressing disparities affecting marginalised groups in China. Despite China’s high literacy rate, challenges persist due to factors such as disabilities, abandoned children, migrants, and special needs. The study advocates shifting from rote learning to critical pedagogy, promoting critical thinking, social responsibility, and equitable education. Policy analysis reveals conducive conditions for integrating critical pedagogy to improve opportunities for marginalised groups, benefiting all students while adapting to regional needs. China’s approach reflects its unique socio-cultural and historical context, influenced by Marxist theory. These findings inform both pedagogical practice and the development of educational frameworks, advancing equity and inclusion in China’s educational system.

Author Biography

Sufen Huang, School of Marxism, Suzhou University

School of Marxism, Suzhou University

References

Alexander, H. A. 2018. “What Is Critical about Critical Pedagogy? Conflicting Conceptions of Criticism in the Curriculum”. Educational Philosophy and Theory 50 (10): 903–916. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2016.1228519. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2016.1228519

Bhatia, U. 2019. “Between Regulation and Minority Educational Rights: Secularism and the Indian Supreme Court”. Journal of Political Ideologies 24 (3): 241–262. https://doi.org/10.1080/13569317.2019.1631539. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13569317.2019.1631539

Burghardt, D. 2020. “Critical Pedagogy According to Marx: On Western Marxism, the New Marx Reading and Its Connection to Pedagogy”. Knowledge Cultures 8 (1): 11–25. https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=845581. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22381/KC8120202

Chen-Florea, A. L., and M. Larsen. 2025. “Reconsidering the ‘China Model’ through Structure and Agency: The Hybrid Realities of Chinese Capitalism and ‘Socialism with Chinese Characteristics’”. Capital and Class. https://doi.org/10.1177/03098168251326190. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/03098168251326190

Cheng, T., and X. Li. 2024. “Sociology of Education in China in the New Era: Review and Prospects (2012–2022)”. ECNU Review of Education 7 (3): 655–676. https://doi.org/10.1177/20965311241256359. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/20965311241256359

China Embassy. 2022. “Report on the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China”. Accessed November 4, 2024. http://my.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/zgxw/202210/t20221026_10792358.htm.

China Government Website. 2019. “The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council Issued the ‘China Education Modernization 2023’”. Accessed November 4, 2024. https://www.gov.cn/xinwen/2019-02/23/content_5367987.htm.

Clark, L. B. 2018. “Critical Pedagogy in the University: Can a Lecture Be Critical Pedagogy?” Policy Futures in Education 16 (8): 985–999. https://doi.org/10.1177/1478210318787053. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1478210318787053

Dong, Y. 2015. “Critical Thinking Education with Chinese Characteristics”. In The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Thinking in Higher Education, edited by M. Davies and R. Barnett, 351–368. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137378057_22. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137378057_22

Fan, K., and B. H. See. 2022. “How Do Chinese Students’ Critical Thinking Compare with Other Students?: A Structured Review of the Existing Evidence”. Thinking Skills and Creativity 46: 101145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2022.101145. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2022.101145

Ferreira Jr., A., and M. Bittar. 2008. “Education from the Marxist Perspective: An Approach Based on Marx and Gramsci”. Interface—Comunicação, Saúde, Educação 12 (26): 635–646. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1414-32832008000300014. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/S1414-32832008000300014

Foley, J. A., D. Morris, P. Gounari, and F. Agostinone-Wilson. 2015. “Critical Education, Critical Pedagogies, Marxist Education in the United States”. Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies 13 (3): 110–144.

Ford, D. R. 2022. Encountering Education: Elements for a Marxist Pedagogy. Seattle: Iskra Books.

Ford, D. R. 2024. “What’s So Marxist about Marxist Educational Theory”. Policy Futures in Education 22 (8): 1470–1587. https://doi.org/10.1177/14782103241232839. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/14782103241232839

Gamsu, S., S. Ashe, and J. Arday. 2024. “Elite Schools and Slavery in the UK—Capital, Violence and Extractivism”. In “The Material Basis of Elite Schooling: Capital and the State”, edited by S. Gamsu, A. Courtois, and R. Boden, special issue, Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education 45 (3): 325–345. https://doi.org/10.1080/01596306.2024.2335002. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01596306.2024.2335002

Gan, F., and Q. Bai. 2023. “Karl Marx’s Thoughts on Critical Pedagogy, Reproduction, and Aesthetic Literacy in STEAM Education and Praxis”. Educational Philosophy and Theory 55 (13): 1513–1525. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2023.2197208. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2023.2197208

Gottesman, I. 2016. The Critical Turn in Education: From Marxist Critique to Poststructuralist Feminism to Critical Theories of Race. New York: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315769967. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315769967

Horsthemke, K. 2021. “Diversity and Epistemic Marginalisation: The Case of Inclusive Education”. Studies in Philosophy and Education 40: 549–565. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11217-021-09764-x. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11217-021-09764-x

Li, Y. 2022. “Docile Bodies in Chinese Schools: What Defines a Future Postmodern Education?” Critical Education 13 (2): 22–44. https://doi.org/10.14288/ce.v13i2.186597.

Li, M., and J. Li. 2017. “The Role Positioning of Ideological and Political Education Workers in the Process of College Marxism Popularization”. In Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Management, Education, Information and Control (MEICI 2017), edited by N. Xin, K. El-Hami, and Z. Kun, 518–522. Shenyang: Atlantis Press. https://doi.org/10.2991/meici-17.2017.99. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2991/meici-17.2017.99

Li, J., Z. Yongzhi, X. Eryong, and N. Zhou. 2020. “Faculty Ethics in China: From a Historical Perspective”. Educational Philosophy and Theory 52 (2): 126–136. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2019.1605651. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2019.1605651

Liasidou, A. 2012. “Inclusive Education and Critical Pedagogy at the Intersections of Disability, Race, Gender and Class”. Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies 10 (1): 168–184. https://www.jceps.com/wp-content/uploads/PDFs/10-1-12.pdf.

Liu, S. 2024. “Urban Political Economy of Elite Education: International Programs in Chinese Elite Public High Schools”. In “The Material Basis of Elite Schooling: Capital and the State”, edited by S. Gamsu, A. Courtois, and R. Boden, special issue, Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education 45 (3): 396–415. https://doi.org/10.1080/01596306.2024.2335006. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01596306.2024.2335006

Lunevich, L. 2022. “Critical Digital Pedagogy: Alternative Ways of Being and Educating, Connected Knowledge and Connective Learning”. Creative Education 13 (6): 1884–1896. https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2022.136118. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2022.136118

Mahmoudi, A., A. Khoshnood, and A. Babaei. 2014. “Paulo Freire’s Critical Pedagogy and Its Implications in Curriculum Planning”. Journal of Education and Practice 5 (14): 86–91.

Manning, F. T. C. 2022. “A Defence of the Concept of the Landowning Class as the Third Class: Towards a Logic of Landownership”. Historical Materialism 30 (3): 79–115. https://doi.org/10.1163/1569206x-20221938. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/1569206x-20221938

Mclaren, P. 2020. “The Future of Critical Pedagogy”. Educational Philosophy and Theory 52 (12): 1243–1248. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2019.1686963. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2019.1686963

National Bureau of Statistics of China. 2023. “Number of Schools by Level and Type”. Accessed November 4, 2024. https://data.stats.gov.cn/english/easyquery.htm?cn=C01.

Olivera, S. F. L., and L. M. Martínez. 2023. “Critical Pedagogy: A Journey from Its Origins to Critical Pedagogy in Colombian Education”. Ciencia Latina: Revista Multidisciplinar 7 (5): 4170–4184. https://doi.org/10.37811/cl_rcm.v7i5.8021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.37811/cl_rcm.v7i5.8021

Peters, M. A., D. Neilson, and L. Jackson. 2022. “Post-Marxism, Humanism and (Post)structuralism: Educational Philosophy and Theory”. Educational Philosophy and Theory 54 (14): 2331–2340. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2020.1824783. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2020.1824783

Roumell, E. A., F. D. Salajan, and C. Todoran. 2020. “A Survey of US Education Policy Regarding the Education of Adults”. Educational Policy 34 (5): 785–815. https://doi.org/10.1177/0895904818802416. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0895904818802416

Statista. 2023a. “Adult Literacy Rate in China from 1982 to 2020”. Accessed November 4, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/271336/literacy-in-china/.

Statista. 2023b. “Education Worldwide—Statistics and Facts”. Accessed November 4, 2024. https://www.statista.com/topics/7785/education-worldwide/#topicOverview.

Statista. 2024a. “Illiteracy Rate in China in 2022, by Region”. Accessed November 4, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/278568/illiteracy-rate-in-china-by-region/.

Statista. 2024b. “The Illiteracy Rate among All Adults (over 15-Year-Old) in 2022, by World Region”. Accessed November 4, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/262886/illiteracy-rates-by-world-regions/.

UN (United Nations). 2024. “Sustainable Development Goals”. Accessed November 4, 2024. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/.

UNDP (United Nations Development Programme). 2022. World Inequality Report. Accessed November 4, 2024. https://wir2022.wid.world/www-site/uploads/2023/03/D_FINAL_WIL_RIM_RAPPORT_2303.pdf.

UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). 2010. EFA Global Monitoring Report 2010—Reaching the Marginalized. Paris: UNESCO. Accessed November 4, 2024. https://www.refworld.org/reference/annualreport/unesco/2010/en/90824?prevPage=/node/90824.

UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund). 2020. “What the 2020 Census Can Tell Us about Children in China”. Accessed November 4, 2024. https://www.unicef.cn/media/24511/file/What%20the%202020%20Census%20Can%20Tell%20Us%20About%20Children%20in%20China%20Facts%20and%20Figures.pdf.

Valls-Carol, R., R. R. de Mello, A. Rodríguez-Oramas, A. Khalfaoui, E. Roca-Campos, M. Guo, and G. Redondo. 2022. “The Critical Pedagogy That Transforms the Reality”. International Journal of Sociology of Education 11 (1): 58–71. https://doi.org/10.17583/rise.8900. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17583/rise.8900

Vavitsas, T. 2022. “The Role of Critical Pedagogy in Education: Exploring the Views of Greek Teachers”. European Journal of Social Sciences Studies 7 (5): 59–75. https://doi.org/10.46827/ejsss.v7i5.1286. DOI: https://doi.org/10.46827/ejsss.v7i5.1286

Wang, C., and M. A. Peters. 2023. “Contemporary Chinese Marxism: Disciplines Teaching Platforms and Status Quo of Basic Academic Research”. Educational Philosophy and Theory 55 (8): 877–887. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2021.1929171. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2021.1929171

World Vision. 2024. “Official Web Site”. Accessed November 4, 2024. https://www.worldvision.org.cn.

Zembylas, M. 2018. “Reinventing Critical Pedagogy as Decolonizing Pedagogy: The Education of Empathy”. Review of Education, Pedagogy, and Cultural Studies 40 (5): 404–421. https://doi.org/10.1080/10714413.2019.1570794. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10714413.2019.1570794

Zhao, Z., K. J. Kennedy, and H. Yang. 2024. “‘Beyond the Nation State’: Does China’s ‘New Era’ Education Facilitate an International Orientation to Citizenship Education?” Globalisation, Societies and Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767724.2024.2409234. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14767724.2024.2409234

Zhu, X., and J. Li. 2018. “Conceptualizing the Ontology of Higher Education with Chinese Characteristics”. Educational Philosophy and Theory 50 (12): 1144–1156. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2018.1504707. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2018.1504707

Zhuoyuan, Z. 2024. “The Spread and Future of Critical Pedagogy in China”. Transactions on Comparative Education 6 (1): 26–36. https://doi.org/10.23977/trance.2024.060104. DOI: https://doi.org/10.23977/trance.2024.060104