A silenced student merely receives pedagogical messages, consumes educational goods and is supposed to obey taken-for-granted orders of the university. In this article we illustrate how silencing happens as a consequence of a structural change in the balance of power between the Finnish government and the universities. The universities try to play safe due to the increased directive power of the government. This has had effects on how universities define the roles of students: in the changed conditions, the universities see students as clients whose purpose is to study and graduate, but not to revolt or act as political beings.

In this study, critical pedagogy is put into active practice by offering insights for teachers and educators in applying an everyday pedagogy of the heart for classroom involvement. The themes of breaking through the cynicism and discovering the art of deliberation are discussed especially in the Finnish context. As a conclusion, it is being suggested that education needs to refocus itself on concern and commitment for the other in our lives. Combining love with an ideological background, such as critical pedagogy, provides a new addition to the discussion.

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Critical pedagogy is dedicated to having students deliberate in classroom praxis and to pose questions that may foster reflexivity when it comes to the ideological movement that is occurring. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the importance of critical pedagogy in higher learning institutions through two research questions: (1) What are university students perceptions of a critical pedagogy classroom and its usability in university studies? and (2) If given the opportunity, what would the students change about their university studies? Altogether, 124 university students' feedback was collected and analyzed with qualitative content analysis from five courses taught with the critical pedagogical approach at the University of Lapland, Finland. Their perceptions of critical pedagogy and desires for change in university teaching practices are introduced. Based on the findings, students had a strong desire for more teacher/peer contact and critical discussions in the learning process.

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