Navigating the Nexus: Educators' Perceptions of Populism's Impact on Secondary Education and the Imperative for Critical Pedagogy

Abstract

The rise of contemporary populism presents complex challenges to democratic societies and their educational systems. This study moves beyond theoretical critiques to empirically investigate secondary school educators' perceptions of populism's impact on their work. It examines the perceived effects on curriculum, school climate, and student attitudes, and explores educators' sense of professional responsibility to foster critical thinking and media literacy as countermeasures. Employing a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design, data was collected from 355 secondary school educators in Germany, Poland, and Spain. Multiple regression analysis revealed that perceived exposure to populist discourse significantly predicted negative impacts on school climate and curriculum pressures. These perceived negative impacts, in turn, strongly predicted educators' sense of responsibility to implement critical pedagogy. However, the relationship between this felt responsibility and educators' self-efficacy was significantly moderated by perceived administrative support and access to professional development. The findings provide crucial empirical data on the challenges educators face and underscore the urgent need for targeted support systems to empower them as key actors in strengthening democratic resilience through critical education.