UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Statements A, C, E and F are correct, whereas B and D are incorrect. Dialogic communication invites questioning and co-construction of knowledge, which are central to critical pedagogy. Power relations do shape whose contributions are legitimised, and encouraging questions can unsettle existing hierarchies. In contrast, monologic lecturing and a view of students as passive receivers run counter to critical pedagogy’s emphasis on participation and agency. Thus the correct set of statements is A, C, E and F.

Option A:
Option A is correct because it selects A, C, E and F, all of which align with critical, dialogic approaches to teaching. It rightly excludes B, which overvalues monologic lecturing, and D, which misrepresents learners’ role in critical pedagogy. The option therefore accurately reflects the theory.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect since it includes B alongside otherwise correct statements. B falsely claims that monologic lecturing fully aligns with critical pedagogy, ignoring its emphasis on dialogue. Including B makes this combination inconsistent with critical teaching principles.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it includes D with C, E and F but omits A. D wrongly portrays learners as passive, contradicting the empowering vision of critical pedagogy. Also, leaving out A neglects the centrality of questioning assumptions in dialogic teaching.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect as it groups A, C, D, E and F and thus accepts D as correct. D conflicts with the idea of students as co-creators of knowledge. Therefore this combination mixes a false statement with true ones and cannot be chosen.

A critical perspective in communication studies examines how power,ideology and social inequality shape both media content and interpersonal interaction. It asks whose voices are amplified,whose are marginalised and how dominant groups maintain control. The stem's focus on unequal power relations determining audibility aligns directly with this approach.

Option A:
Critical theorists highlight issues such as representation of minorities,ownership of media and discourse that normalises inequality. This concern with justice and emancipation fits Option D clearly.

Option B:
Functionalist perspectives emphasise how communication contributes to social stability and consensus and may underplay conflict and inequality.

Option C:
Behaviourist approaches focus on stimulus response relationships and individual behaviour,rarely addressing structural power differences.

Option D:
Structuralism analyses underlying sign systems and codes but is not primarily centred on power and domination in the way that critical perspectives are.