Problem-posing education  Problem-posing education is a term coined by Brazilian educator Paulo Freire in his 1970 book "Pedagogy of the Oppressed". Problem-posing refers to a method of teaching that emphasizes critical thinking for the purpose of liberation. Freire used problem-posing as an alternative to the banking model of education. Freire's pedagogy emerged from his observations and experiences working as an instructor in literacy programs with peasant laborers in Brazil. During this work, Freire became aware of the economic, political, and social domination resulting from paternalism. Paternalism leads to a culture of silence, which keeps people from confronting their oppression. He turned this philosophy to pedagogy because "the whole education system was one of the major instruments for the maintenance of this culture of silence." Freire's philosophy of education centers on critical consciousness, whereby the oppressed recognize the causes of their oppression "so that through transforming action they can create a new situation, one which makes possible the pursuit of fuller humanity." Problem-posing education is the path to critical consciousness. Freire's work has its roots in the constructivist theory of learning, and specifically the work of Jean Piaget and John Dewey. The constructivist theory holds that knowledge is constructed by individuals by using their experiences, which is what Freire drew upon in developing his pedagogy. In "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" Freire wrote: Education as the practice of freedom—as opposed to education as the practice of domination—denies that man is abstract, isolated, independent, and unattached to the world; it also denies that the world exists as a reality apart from people. Authentic reflection considers neither abstract man nor the world without people, but people in their relations with the world. The philosophy of problem-posing education is the foundation of modern critical pedagogy. Problem-posing education solves the student–teacher contradiction by recognizing that knowledge is not deposited from one (the teacher) to another (the student) but is instead formulated through dialogue between the two. Freire's argument concludes that "authentic education is not carried on by "A" "for" "B" or by "A" "about" "B," but rather by "A" "with" "B.". The representation of knowledge rather than the imposition of it leads to liberation. As a method of teaching, problem-posing involves "listening, dialogue, and action." Many models for applying problem-posing in the classroom have been formulated since Freire first coined the term.