VIRTUAL MADRID FOCUS ON PEDAGOGY

Abstract

Power structures along intersectional axes are reproduced in design education at universities and art colleges. These institutions not only transmit disciplinary values and norms but also produce knowledge that shapes design theory and practice. Understanding how power and inequality manifest in design education is crucial for developing power-critical teaching strategies to prevent their perpetuation. This work asks: How can theoretical power-critical positions be implemented in design teaching/learning practice? The field of power-critical perspectives on design education has been neglected, and systematic analyses of power-critical pedagogical approaches are lacking. This work aims to develop a research foundation to map power-critical engagement with design education and close this research gap. Following Maithree Wickramasinghe, I understand developing a research foundation as both epistemic and political project. Using scoping review methodology, I analyzed a corpus of 67 texts that engage power-critically with design teaching/learning. Five positions were examined along research questions and situated criteria: What do authors criticize? What theoretical concepts do they reference? What pedagogical suggestions do they make? My theoretical framework draws from Patricia H. Collins’ power concepts, Carmen Mörsch’s power critique, and Helen Verran’s epistemic disconcertment. The analysis reveals seven central criticisms of design education, informed by two overlapping theoretical fields: decolonial theories and Black intersectional feminism. I examined and synthesized pedagogical suggestions covering preparation through follow-up of teaching/learning formats. This mapping provides a reference framework for future power-critical engagement with design teaching and learning, and a foundation for educators and learners committed to social justice who consider power-critical approaches essential for working toward transformative pedagogical practices.