Through the lenses of critical pedagogy, cognitive psychology, marketing, curriculum development, traditional and informal education, and Black education, how one centre constructed and implemented critical edutainment is reviewed and scrutinized. The ethnographic study took place in a hyperreal (Baudrillard) setting using a bricolage of research methods: Seidman's 3-part interview protocol with workers and administrators; McMillan's focus group interview process with 9-12 year olds; participant-observation; field and reflective notes; and artefacts from external sources such as television broadcasts, newspapers, and official documents to gather and analyse data. In spite of its noble intentions, Gramsci's hegemony was witnessed and maintained through the centre's structure and organisation hence causing stress on the workers. Although the children and adults approved of the teaching and disciplinary acts, close regulation of their actions was done. Critical edutainment employs Vygotsky's zone of proximal development as it acknowledges the indigenous knowledges of adults and children and asks them to co-construct a curriculum that is cognitively, affectively, and socially relevant. It shows how curriculum construction, teamwork, accountability, and lessons learned from Black educators can be used to make a viable critical edutainment site that incites learning and fun.

No description available.