Integrating antiracist pedagogy in a Korean EFL classroom: a participatory approach to racial awareness and critical education

Abstract This is a collaborative study between a researcher and a teacher of English as a foreign language (EFL) in South Korea that focuses on integrating antiracist pedagogy within English language instruction in middle schools. Despite Korea’s revised English curriculum emphasizing cultural diversity, existing textbooks often lack adequate racial representation. The study addresses this gap by exploring how antiracist education, grounded in Critical Race Theory (CRT), can be effectively designed and implemented to raise students’ racial awareness in Korean schools. Employing the methodology of participatory action research (PAR), the researcher and EFL teacher developed lessons that incorporated counter-storytelling, historical context, and discussions on racial issues. Key findings illustrate the challenges of adapting CRT in a Korean context, highlighting the need for contextualized antiracist curriculum support, teacher education, and reflective practices. The study underscores the importance of researcher-practitioner partnerships in promoting meaningful, critical pedagogy in EFL classrooms, and it calls for broader implementation of antiracist practices within Korea’s K–12 education system to address both global racial issues and localized cultural biases. This research not only enhances understanding of intercultural and racial literacy in Korean EFL settings, but also emphasizes the necessity for structured teacher training to effectively engage with such pedagogy in diverse classrooms.