Pedagogy at the margins: Freirean praxis and epistemic justice in vocational education

Across higher education systems globally, students from marginalised communities continue to encounter pedagogical practices that silence their voices and devalue their knowledge. This article examines how participatory pedagogies grounded in Freire's critical praxis can advance epistemic justice in South Africa's TVET sector. Moving beyond dominant policy concerns with access and employability, the study interrogates how teaching practices shape inclusion and marginalisation. Drawing on Freirean pedagogy and Ubuntu ethics, the article reports on a participatory action research project conducted at two TVET colleges in the Eastern Cape. Using Learning Cycle Groups, adapted from Freire's culture circles, lecturers and students engaged in bilingual dialogue to examine classroom practices and co-design alternatives. Reflexive thematic analysis identifies persistent deficit pedagogies, the transformative potential of dialogical participation, and the emergence of ukufunda ngokuhlanganyela. The article contributes to debates on participatory pedagogy by theorising Pedagogy at the Margins as an ethical-political practice in vocational education.