The Social Construction of Critical Literacy among Primary School Students in Contextual Learning

Authors

  • M Zainul Hafizi Pendidikan IPS, Universitas Tanjungpura, Pontianak, Indonesia
  • Muhammad Nur Salim Jurusan Karawitan, Institut Seni Indonesia Surakarta, Surakarta, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.71094/mandalawidya.v2i02.200

Keywords:

Critical Literacy, Social Construction, Contextual Learning, Elementary Education, Sociocultural Theory

Abstract

This study examines the social construction of critical literacy among elementary school students within the framework of contextual learning. Drawing on sociocultural theory and critical pedagogy, this research explores how literacy is not merely an individual cognitive skill but a socially mediated practice shaped by interaction, discourse, and cultural context. A qualitative approach was employed using a sociological perspective to analyze classroom practices, teacher strategies, and student engagement. The findings indicate that critical literacy emerges through dialogic interaction, contextual problem-solving, and the integration of students’ lived experiences into learning processes. The study also reveals that contextual learning environments facilitate the development of interpretative, analytical, and reflective competencies among students. Furthermore, the role of teachers as mediators of meaning significantly influences the formation of critical awareness. These findings reinforce the argument that critical literacy is constructed through dynamic social processes rather than transmitted as fixed knowledge. The study contributes to the theoretical integration of critical literacy and contextual pedagogy in primary education.

References

Ajayi, L. (2015). Critical literacy pedagogy in a diverse classroom: Teachers’ practices and students’ outcomes. Journal of Language and Literacy Education, 11(1), 1–17. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1059610

Bae, S. S., Lee, J., & Kim, H. (2022). Cultivating visualization literacy for children through curiosity and play. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2208.05015

Creswell, J. W. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.

Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education. Macmillan.

Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Continuum.

Freire, P. (1998). Pedagogy of freedom: Ethics, democracy, and civic courage. Rowman & Littlefield.

Gee, J. P. (2015). Social linguistics and literacies: Ideology in discourses (5th ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315722513

Giroux, H. A. (1988). Teachers as intellectuals: Toward a critical pedagogy of learning. Bergin & Garvey.

Hendriani, A., Nuryani, P., & Ibrahim, T. (2018). Pedagogik literasi kritis: Sejarah, filsafat, dan perkembangannya di dunia pendidikan. Pedagogia: Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan, 16(1), 44–54. https://doi.org/10.17509/pdgia.v16i1.10811

hooks, b. (1994). Teaching to transgress: Education as the practice of freedom. Routledge.

Lankshear, C., & McLaren, P. (Eds.). (1993). Critical literacy: Radical and postmodernist perspectives. State University of New York Press.

Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511815355

Luke, A. (2012). Critical literacy: Foundational notes. Theory Into Practice, 51(1), 4–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2012.636324

Luke, A., & Freebody, P. (1999). Further notes on the four resources model. Reading Online. http://www.readingonline.org/research/lukefreebody.html

McLaren, P. (2007). Life in schools: An introduction to critical pedagogy in the foundations of education (5th ed.). Pearson.

Mulyono, T. (2021). Pembelajaran berbasis nilai lokal untuk penguatan literasi kritis di sekolah dasar. Jurnal Pendas, 6(2), 123–135.

New London Group. (1996). A pedagogy of multiliteracies: Designing social futures. Harvard Educational Review, 66(1), 60–92. https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.66.1.17370n67v22j160u

Piaget, J. (1952). The origins of intelligence in children. International Universities Press.

Shor, I. (1999). What is critical literacy? Journal of Pedagogy, Pluralism, and Practice, 1(4). http://www.lesley.edu/journal-pedagogy-pluralism-practice/shor/what-is-critical-literacy

Singgih, M. (2022). Philosophy of education and critical literacy: Towards transformative language learning. Aksara: Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa dan Sastra, 23(2), 145–156.

Street, B. V. (2003). What’s “new” in New Literacy Studies? Critical approaches to literacy in theory and practice. Current Issues in Comparative Education, 5(2), 77–91. https://doi.org/10.52214/cice.v5i2.11369

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.

Wells, G. (1999). Dialogic inquiry: Toward a sociocultural practice and theory of education. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511605895

Wodak, R., & Meyer, M. (2009). Methods of critical discourse analysis (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications.

Yunus, M., & Sukmawati. (2022). Implementasi pembelajaran kontekstual dalam meningkatkan literasi siswa sekolah dasar. Jurnal Pendidikan Dasar Indonesia, 7(1), 45–54.

Zubaidah, S. (2018). Keterampilan abad ke-21: Keterampilan yang diajarkan melalui pembelajaran. In Seminar Nasional Pendidikan. Universitas Negeri Malang.

Gómez-Galán, J. (2018). Media education as theoretical and practical paradigm for digital literacy. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/1803.01677

Downloads

Published

2026-05-27

How to Cite

Hafizi, M. Z., & Salim, M. N. (2026). The Social Construction of Critical Literacy among Primary School Students in Contextual Learning. MANDALA WIDYA: Jurnal Ilmu Pendidikan, 2(02), 10–19. https://doi.org/10.71094/mandalawidya.v2i02.200