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between awareness and action: “learning about it does make us more aware of things, but not many
teens that I know of would take action for it.”
As students become aware of the structures of domination and the role of institutions which
reinforce them, in the absence of a coherent social movement to promote an alternative, there is a
risk of paralysis and pessimism. Therefore transformative learning can occur only when “critical
reflection and social action are part of the same process;” maintaining critical hope reinforces the
capacity to understand that although we cannot change the past, we are not held prisoner by it
(Regan 2010: 23). Breaking free from students’ feelings of disillusionment requires considering how
empowering the effects of students’ small everyday actions towards decolonization can be.
As discussed, the territorial education departments made efforts to bridge the reported gap between
learning and action when designing the module’s second edition. The addition of the final project
activity was described in a backgrounder in the second edition of the teacher’s guide. For each
project option, student examples were provided on a DVD accompanying module materials, to
enable students to visualize the influence their work can have (Personal Communication, M. Willett,
June 15, 2013).
The changes made for the module’s second edition have made a concrete difference for student
civic learning outcomes, interpreted as the students’ sense of ability and confidence to engage in
citizenship and create change in their own community.12 In 2014, Teachers across three regions
provided examples of students’ increased understanding of democratic values, though not all
classrooms experienced this outcome. One teacher explained the sense of empowerment on civic
affairs that his students came away with:
The students also related the history to the current political climate. Twenty some
students held a mock vote on rations in the liquor store – the ration system was
removed 2 years ago. (The module’s activity) set the stage for proactive political
engagement and how to do something about it. One