Showing papers on "Democratic education published in 2010"
Book•
01 Jan 2010
TL;DR: O'Brien as discussed by the authors discusses the Silent Crisis, education for profit and education for democracy, the Moral (and Anti-Moral) Emotions, and the Importance of Argument.
Abstract: Foreword by Ruth O'Brien ix Acknowledgments xiii Chapter I: The Silent Crisis 1 Chapter II: Education for Profit, Education for Democracy 13 Chapter III: Educating Citizens: The Moral (and Anti-Moral) Emotions 27 Chapter IV: Socratic Pedagogy: The Importance of Argument 47 Chapter V: Citizens of the World 79 Chapter VI: Cultivating Imagination: Literature and the Arts 95 Chapter VII: Democratic Education on the Ropes 121 Notes 145 Index 153
1,147 citations
01 Jan 2010
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present an afterword on Global Crises, Social Justice, and Education, with a focus on the role of education in social justice and social change.
Abstract: Acknowledgements 1: Global Crises, Social Justice, and Education -Michael W. Apple 2: New Literacies and New Rebellions in the Global Age -Ross Collin and Michael W. Apple 3: From the Conservative "Coup" to the New Beginning of Progressive Politics in Japanese Education -Keita Takayama 4: Israel/Palestine, Unequal Power, Power, and Movements for Democratic Education -Assaf Meshulam and Michael W. Apple 5: Popular Education Confronts Neoliberalism in the Public Sphere: The Struggle for Civil Society in Latin America -Erika Mein and Jen Sandler 6: Afterword on Global Crises, Social Justice, and Education -Michael W. Apple Contributors Index
173 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a discursive approach to the cultivation of enlightened political engagement in schools is presented, arguing that schools are the best available sites for this project because they have the key assets: diverse schoolmates, problems (both academic and social), "strangers" (schoolmates who are not friends or family), and curriculum and instruction (schools are intentionally educative places).
Abstract: Background/Context: The literature on classroom discussion often undercuts itself by treating discussion only as an instructional method, confining its role to the instrumental. Although discussion does serve as an effective means to other curricular ends (teaching with discussion), the capable practice of discussion can also be considered a curriculum objective in its own right (teaching for discussion). The latter is justified on the grounds that listening and speaking to what Danielle Allen called “strangers” about powerful ideas and public problems is crucial to democratic citizen formation; indeed, it defines democracy, signaling a citizen’s coming of age while at the same time creating the public sphere that democracy requires—a space where political argument and action flourish. Purpose /Focus of Study: The author outlines a discursive approach to the cultivation of enlightened political engagement in schools. He argues that schools are the best available sites for this project because they have the key assets: diverse schoolmates (more or less), problems (both academic and social), “strangers” (schoolmates who are not friends or family), and curriculum and instruction (schools are intentionally educative places). Ambitious classroom discussion models—for example, seminars and deliberations—can mobilize these assets; but new habits, especially those that build equity and trust, are needed. Setting: Two empirical cases of classroom discussion ground the argument in classroom practice. In one, high school students deliberate whether physician-assisted suicide should be legalized in their state. In the other, suburban middle school students conduct a seminar on Howard Fast’s novel of the American revolution, April Morning. Research Design: This is an analytic essay/argument. Conclusions/Recommendations: Schools in societies with democratic ideals are obligated to cultivate enlightened and engaged citizens. Helping young people form the habits of listening to strangers, at that very public place called school, should advance this work.
128 citations
TL;DR: In discussions about democratic education, there is a strong tendency to see the role of education as that of the preparation of children and young people for their future participation in democratic education.
Abstract: In discussions about democratic education, there is a strong tendency to see the role of education as that of the preparation of children and young people for their future participation in democrat ...
111 citations
TL;DR: The idea of the student as a speaker is not offered as an empirical fact but as a different starting point for emancipatory education, one that positions equality at the beginning of education, not at its end as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: In this paper I discuss three different ways in which we can refer to those we teach: as learner, as student or as speaker. My interest is not in any aspect of teaching but in the question whether there can be such a thing as emancipatory education. Working with ideas from Jacques Ranciere I offer the suggestion that emancipatory education can be characterised as education which starts from the assumption that all students can speak. It starts from the assumption, in other words, that students neither lack a capacity for speech, nor that they are producing noise. The idea of the student as a speaker is not offered as an empirical fact but as a different starting point for emancipatory education, one that positions equality at the beginning of education, not at its end.
98 citations
TL;DR: The authors argue for a reconceptualized, differentiated, and "disciplined" approach to the professional development of educators in democratic societies that builds capacity for curriculum leadership, and amplify the tenets of Dewey's pragmatic social and educational philosophy, which have long been at the heart of democratic educational thought.
Abstract: Almost a hundred years ago, John Dewey clarified the relationship between democracy and education. However, the enactment of a ‘deeply democratic’ educational practice has proven elusive throughout the ensuing century, overridden by managerial approaches to schooling young people and to the standardized, technical preparation and professional development of teachers and educational leaders. A powerful counter‐narrative to this ‘standardized management paradigm’ exists in the field of curriculum studies, but is largely ignored by mainstream approaches to the professional development of educators. This paper argues for a reconceptualized, differentiated, and ‘disciplined’ approach to the professional development of educators in democratic societies that builds capacity for curriculum leadership. In support of this proposal, we amplify the tenets of Dewey's pragmatic social and educational philosophy, which have long been at the heart of democratic educational thought, with Badiou's more contemporary thinkin...
56 citations
Book•
01 Dec 2010
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors focus on the importance of social justice and political literacy as a way of understanding what democracy is and how to make it more relevant for all of society.
Abstract: The public debate on democracy is often constrained within an alienating and disenfranchising narrative of opinion polls, campaign platforms, personalities and formal structures that generate legislation, all of which surreptitiously seems to trickle down to the classroom. Paul R. Carr asserts that democracy must be cultivated in a vigorous, conscientious, meaningful and critical way in and through education in order for it to have salience in society, especially within a neoliberal conjuncture that promotes limited space for epistemological interrogation of how we understand and are engaged in maintaining and/or transforming our societies. Building on the critical pedagogical work of Paulo Freire, Joe L. Kincheloe, and others, this book develops a framework for understanding how a thicker democratic education can be conceptualized and implemented in schools. The book aims to move the focus on democracy away from voting, and place it more properly on the importance of social justice and political literacy as a way of understanding what democracy is and, importantly, how to make it more relevant for all of society. The book concludes that another democracy is possible, as well as being desirable, and that education is the fundamental intersection in which it must be developed.
50 citations
TL;DR: For instance, the authors argues that undoing the epistemological dogma of planning embodied in the notions of critical and deliberative democracy might also involve confronting the comparative style of thought which provides the epistemeological "rules" that insert inequality as equality.
Abstract: Efforts to develop democratic schools have moved along particular rules and standards of ‘reasoning’ even when expressed through different ideological and paradigmatic lines. From attempts to make a democratic education to critical pedagogy, different approaches overlap in their historical construction of the reason of schooling: designing society by designing the child. These approaches to democracy make inequality into the premise of equality, assuming a consensual partition of the world and the need for specific agents to monitor partitioned boundaries, thus reinserting differences as the basis of practice. Democracy, however, according to Jacques Ranciere, only becomes visible when its partitioning is challenged under the opinion of equality. Yet, undoing the epistemological dogma of planning embodied in the notions of ‘critical’ and deliberative democracy might also involve confronting the comparative style of thought which provides the epistemological ‘rules’ that insert inequality as equality. Dele...
42 citations
TL;DR: This paper found that educational policies based upon systems of high-stakes, standardized testing represent a curriculum that teaches anti-democracy, and that vertical hierarchies are both established and maintained through the top-down structure of education policies in the United States.
Abstract: Making use of the body of literature outlining the various controlling aspects of high-stakes testing on classroom practice, the analysis presented here finds that vertical hierarchies are both established and maintained through the top-down structure of education policies in the United States, as exemplified by the No Child Left Behind Act. By looking at the effects of such policies through Parker’s (2005) discussion of key aspects of democratic education, this article finds that educational policies based upon systems of high-stakes, standardized testing represent a curriculum that teaches anti-democracy.
37 citations
24 Nov 2010
TL;DR: The authors explored the literature on global citizenship associated with study abroad and global civil society in order to understand how the norms, affiliations and markers of citizenship are being redefined and concluded with a proposal that responsible, high road study abroad entails preparing students as global citizen diplomats, representing their own culture while developing the intercultural awareness to comprehend, respect, and represent the perspectives of another culture.
Abstract: This chapter addresses the need for study abroad programs that prepare students for moral responsibility and democratic civic engagement in an increasingly globalized world. We examine how notions of citizenship, democratic education, and civic engagement can be expanded to a global knowledge community beyond the borders of home campuses and countries. This entails recognition of a global ecology of learning based on reciprocity, recognition of civic identities, and responsibility for one’s actions and representations abroad. We explore the literature on global citizenship associated with study abroad and global civil society in order to understand how the norms, affiliations and markers of citizenship are being redefined. We conclude with a proposal that responsible, high road study abroad entails preparing students as global citizen diplomats, representing their own culture while developing the intercultural awareness to comprehend, respect, and represent the perspectives of another culture.
36 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the views of 580 mothers, 333 fathers and 43 primary school teachers about qualities to be developed at home and at school in Estonia, a country in transition with reforms towards child-centered democratic education.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors show that the gap between the ideal and the reality is effectively insuperable and must be considered an incontestable fact and that this gap is susceptible to being narrowed, from generation to generation.
Abstract: Is the idea that the self-determination of all citizens influences progress towards democracy not merely a dream that breaks itself against the hard historical reality of political societies? Is not the same fate reserved for all pedagogical innovations in democratic education that depend on this great dream? It is commonplace to assert this logic to demonstrate the inapplicability of the ideas of both democracy and of democratic education. Though this argument is prominent and recurring in the history of political and educative ideas, in response we can ask ourselves if the gap between the ideal and the reality is effectively insuperable and must be considered an incontestable fact. The double objective of this article is to determine explicitly the meaning and extent of this gap in the context of democracy and of education and to demonstrate that this gap is neither static nor permanent, but is susceptible to being narrowed, from generation to generation.
TL;DR: A review of the literature on critical pedagogy and democratic education as discussed by the authors reveals that very little has been written comparing the two (Knight and Pearl in Urban Rev 32(2):197-226, 2000).
Abstract: Reviewing the literature on critical pedagogy (CP) and democratic education (DE) reveals that very little has been written comparing the two (Knight and Pearl in Urban Rev 32(2):197–226, 2000). After reading the Urban Review article by Knight and Pearl (2000)—the only publication explicitly comparing the two approaches to education—I was intrigued to further compare, contrast, and consider the possibilities of connecting democratic education and critical pedagogy. My review of current literature suggests that the authors may offer some misleading claims about the theory, operation, and potential of CP. This manuscript, therefore, attempts to (a) present counterevidence to the claims of Knight and Pearl (2000) and (b) explore possibilities for cross-pollination between CP and DE. To do this, this manuscript presents various aspects of Knight and Pearl’s conception of DE; lays out the tenets of CP by drawing on the most recent work of its theorists and practitioners; and, lastly, demonstrates not only that the two approaches are more similar than different, but also that possibilities for cross-pollination exist in working towards the formation of democratic and social justice-oriented citizens.
01 Jan 2010
TL;DR: Siegel and Siegel as discussed by the authors discuss the role of reason and tradition in education in a globalized society, and propose a new pedagogical approach to teach students to understand the difference between cultures.
Abstract: Introduction. Part I: Education in a Globalized Society 1. How Should We Educate Students Whose Cultures Frown upon Rational Disputation?: Cultural Difference and the Role of Reason in Multicultural Democratic Education Harvey Siegel 2. Can Liberals Take Their Own Side in an Argument? Robert Talisse 3. Literacy and Citizenship: Tradition, Reason, and Critique in Democratic Education Hanan Alexander 4. After All, How Small is the World: Global Citizenship as an Educational Ideal Doret de Ruyter 5. Education for Global Citizenship and Survival Randall Curren Part II: New Pedagogical Approaches 6. Why They Hate Us: A Pedagogical Proposal Irfan Khawaja 7. Global Aspirations for Gender Equality in Education: What Kind of Pedagogy? Elaine Unterhalter and Amy North 8. "Let Us Now Praise...": Rethinking Role Models and Heroes in an Egalitarian Age Meira Levinson Part III: Moral and Religious Education 9. Privilege, Wellbeing, and Participation in Higher Education Harry Brighouse and Paula McAvoy 10. In Defense of Multiculturalism Mark Halstead 11. Children's Autonomy and Symbolic Clothing in Schools: Help or Hindrance? Dianne Gereluk 12. Global Religious Education Peter Simpson
21 Apr 2010
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors proposed a whole-of-government approach to improve the situation of immigrant students in Swedish education system by prioritising training of all teachers to be more responsive to the linguistic and cultural diversity of students.
Abstract: By international standards, Sweden has an inclusive, democratic education system. However, immigrant students, on average, have weaker education outcomes than their native peers at all levels of education. The toughest challenges appear to be access to national programmes and completion in upper secondary education. Sweden is undertaking universal and targeted measures to improve the situation of immigrant students. There is scope to prioritise training of all teachers to be more responsive to the linguistic and cultural diversity of students; provide leadership training for school leaders to implement a “whole-school approach” to migrant education; strengthen induction programmes for the newly arrived students; support capacity building of municipality leaders so they can successfully exercise autonomy and innovation in migrant education in local contexts; prioritise alleviating negative effects of concentration on schooling outcomes with the whole-of government approach; and better use the available data to advance evidence-based policy and practice.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyzed Ontario's new character education policy to determine how it supports and undermines critical democratic commitments to diversity, dialogue, equity, critical mindedness, and social justice.
Abstract: Ontario, Canada's new character education policy is analyzed to determine how it supports and undermines critical democratic commitments to diversity, dialogue, equity, critical mindedness, and social justice. While policies are always open to interpretation, recent reform policies requiring evidence of continual improvement in students' academic performance and standardized curricula have made it more difficult for educators to pursue critical democratic goals and practices. This study's findings show that while the assumptions and favored approach of Ontario' s Character Development Initiative contradict principles of critical democratic education, the policy enables the pursuit of critical democratic goals within its framework.
TL;DR: Marri et al. as discussed by the authors described how a highly regarded high school history teacher involved a heterogeneous group of students in a rigorous, engaging, critical study of U.S. history.
Abstract: The authors extend the literature on multicultural democratic citizenship education (Marri, 2005) with a case study about how a highly esteemed high school teacher involved a heterogeneous group of students in a rigorous, engaging, critical study of U.S. History. Mr. Scott's * teaching was noteworthy in its community building, thorough disciplinary content and deliberative pedagogies, yet obstacles to student engagement persisted. This study illustrates powerful pedagogical practice that informs research and practice and reveals ongoing challenges in high school teaching, even in a supportive environment. It adds to the research on teaching for multicultural citizenship and provides descriptive examples of how powerful pedagogical practice (Shulman, 1987) can be combined with multicultural democratic citizenship education (Banks, 1993; Parker, 1996). Introduction In previous decades, U.S. History classes have been criticized for failing to achieve educational purposes, such as developing students' higher level thinking, engagement with history, and affinity for citizenship (Ross, 2006; Wilson, 2001). Classroom research on history teaching has documented pedantic instruction in which teachers rely on textbooks, lecture, and recitation, and require students to complete low-level academic tasks, such as quizzes, worksheets, and textbook questions (Cuban, 1991; Goodlad, 1984; Levstik, 2008; McNeil, 1986). Research also reveals that many students viewed history as a meaningless lists of facts to be memorized and forgotten (Grant, 2003; McNeil, 1986; Schug, Todd, & Beery, 1984; Shaver, Davis, & Helburn, 1980). By contrast, since the 1980s, scholars have produced studies on "accomplished" (Wilson, 2001), "ambitious" (Grant 2003, 2005), and "wise" (Wineburg & Wilson, 1988, 1991; Yeager & Davis, 2005) history teachers, which illustrate that some teachers are not simply teaching in routine ways. However, despite the documented crucial connection between history and citizenship education (Barton & Levstik, 2004), calls for multicultural content (Banks, 1993), and theory bridging democratic education and diversity (Parker, 1996), accounts of teaching for multicultural citizenship are rare (Dilworth, 2004). Marri's Classroom-based Multicultural Democratic Education (CMDE) framework provides a model that blends theory and practice, but to date it has only been applied to his studies of three classroom teachers (Marri, 2005, 2008). Our case study of a highly regarded U.S. History teacher, Mr. Scott (all names are pseudonyms), both exemplifies and informs the framework, while contributing to prior research on "pedagogically powerful practice" (Shulman, 1987). It begins with contextual background that links the teacher's past experience, educational purposes, and school culture to his practice. The narrative details how Mr. Scott developed classroom community, taught both mainstream and transformative historical content, and employed "deliberative pedagogies" (Simon, 2005) that featured culminating projects and scaffolded examination of alternative history texts. Finally, the study reveals obstacles to student engagement that persisted despite his efforts, and raises questions for future research and practice. Conceptual Frameworks Classroom-Based Multicultural Democratic Education Marri's (2005, 2008) Classroom-based Multicultural Democratic Education (CMDE) framework brings together principles from the two fields of multicultural and democratic education as advocated by Parker (1997) and Banks (2003). It consists of three elements: building of community, thorough disciplinary content, and critical pedagogy. Community building involves creating a respectful, collaborative classroom environment. It allows students from diverse backgrounds to develop understandings of each other through discussions, group work, and problem-solving. Drawing on Dewey (1916), Marri explains that in a community, students learn about democratic living by openly discussing issues with people who hold different perspectives. …
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examine how the Arabs' parental choice is affected by their marginalised social location, how far they are from the dominant culture, and their capacity to make a difference.
Abstract: This article is a product of in‐depth research in Yaffa, The Arab Democratic School that was carried out in 2004/05, as part of a study on alternative Arab education in Israel. Its aim, beyond telling the story of Yaffa, is to explicate the motivations that underlay this initiative, and to examine parental choice amongst the disadvantaged. We ask how the Arabs’ parental choice is affected by their (marginalised) social location, by how far they are from the dominant culture, and by their (in)capacity to make a difference. Apparently, to make a choice is a multidimensional act, reflecting the Palestinian citizens’ resistance to their marginalisation and unwillingness to be subjugated through non‐democratic educational perceptions. Their positionality resonates in Yaffa, as an act of intervention, and their search for an alternative reality where democratic education is not and cannot be separated from the Palestinian citizens’ need to imagine themselves as Arabs.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors draw on the writings of literary scholar Mikhail Bakhtin to examine the possibilities that emerge when grounding pedagogy in dialogue and sketch three possible pathways that a dialogic pedagology allows social studies educators to explore: (1) nonneutrality of language, (2) testing of authority, and (3) development of voice.
Abstract: In light of the common mission of social studies education to prepare future democratic citizens, the field continues to be rooted in didactic and monologic practices. Finding an alibi in the current accountability movement that favors teaching about democracy instead of teaching through democracy, many social studies teachers have reneged on their responsibility to engender the democratic capacities of students. In this article, I draw on the writings of literary scholar Mikhail Bakhtin to examine the possibilities that emerge when grounding pedagogy in dialogue. Based on Bakhtin's writings, I sketch three possible pathways that a dialogic pedagogy allows social studies educators to explore: (1) nonneutrality of language, (2) testing of authority, and (3) development of voice. Through my discussion of Bakhtin's history, pedagogic action, philosophy, and sociology, I argue that pedagogy in social studies grounded in dialogue provides an aesthetic for democracy as a means to an end.
01 Jan 2010
TL;DR: The concept of teaching as a moral endeavour is a fundamental element in the series of studies presented in this book as discussed by the authors, which can be used in courses of pedagogy, curriculum studies and teacher education to stimulate the reflection about the practical consequences of the societal and educational policy debate about moral and democratic education for the daily work of the teacher.
Abstract: In the past two decades there has been a growing concern in politics and schools to pay more attention to norms and values. Teachers and schools are confronted with normative problems, school violence and students who sometimes seem to have lost their way when it comes to norms and values. Teachers play a crucial and exemplary role in the process of developing students’ awareness of norms and values in school and in society as a whole. This is a complex process that requires a great deal of moral courage of teachers. Confronted with an increase in the number of pedagogical duties the question arises what the teachers’ view is on their normative professionalism. The concept of teaching as a moral endeavour is a fundamental element in the series of studies presented in this book. One of the aims of this book is to be of importance for educational practice, educational policy and teacher education. It can be used in courses of pedagogy, curriculum studies and teacher education to stimulate the reflection about the practical consequences of the societal and educational policy debate about moral and democratic education for the daily work of the teacher. The common focus of this book is on the role of teachers, the moral courage which is demanded of them and the joint commitment with moral and democratic education.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that there are sound ethical (philosophical), political, and pedagogical reasons for a more rounded approach to education in the U.K. to reassert a broader vision of education, which is provided by political philosophy in the writings of John Dewey.
Abstract: Education policy in England has been criticized for an overemphasis on narrow performance targets and the adoption of private sector principles. Universities and colleges have increasingly been viewed in terms of their value for the U.K. economy. This article argues that there are sound ethical (philosophical), political, and pedagogical reasons for a more rounded approach. To reassert a broader vision of education we require an ethical base, which we argue is provided by political philosophy in the writings of John Dewey. For Dewey, education must be viewed in the context of its role in democratic society. The article identifies basic principles that relate to Dewey's belief in democratic education and develops general indicators to test these principles. These indicators are then used to evaluate higher education and political science education in England.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine cosmopolitanism and curriculum reform through the lenses of two cosmopolitan discourses, neoliberal and democratic, and conclude with a curriculum proposal promoting a democratic cosmopolitan discourse that is culturally responsive, democratic and socially just in the face of neoliberal globalisation.
Abstract: Under conditions of globalisation, the discourse of cosmopolitanism adds a new dimension to analysis of curriculum reform. We examine the meanings and contentions of curriculum as a regulatory function in rapidly changing, global communities. We examine cosmopolitanism and curriculum
through the lenses of two cosmopolitan discourses, neoliberal and democratic. This provides a theoretically complex snapshot of how the discourse of cosmopolitanism reflects different ideologies concerning community and curriculum reform. We support and conclude with a curriculum proposal
promoting a democratic cosmopolitan discourse that is culturally responsive, democratic, and socially just in the face of neoliberal globalisation.
TL;DR: For instance, the authors examined an activity involving deliberation among children and preservice teachers in the United States, in which children were partnered with preserve teachers as pen pals to deliberate shared current events texts.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors focus on the relationship between Hannah Arendt and education, focusing on democratic education, multicultural education, and conservatism in education, while most of these studies have concentrated on h...
Abstract: Background/ContextPrior work on Hannah Arendt and education has focused on democratic education, multicultural education, and conservatism in education. Most of these studies have concentrated on h...
TL;DR: In this article, the importance of educating children about democracy in elementary schools and some activities that can be done in schools to teach children the efficiency of democracy are pointed out and the suggested activities are presented with samples of in-class implementation prepared by expert teachers.
Abstract: Elementary schools have a significant role in creating democratic attitudes and attainments in children. During elementary education, children are prepared for life, becoming familiar with rules in social life in addition to gaining academic knowledge and abilities. In this article, the importance of educating children about democracy in elementary schools and some activities that can be done in schools to teach children the efficiency of democracy are pointed out. During the research, the opinions of experienced social sciences teachers who work in elementary schools were consulted. The suggested activities are presented with samples of in-class implementation prepared by expert teachers.
TL;DR: In this paper, the extent of students' democratic involvement in the teaching and learning processes was investigated in Botswana using a closed questionnaire consisting of 31 question items, and the authors concluded that the democratic practices encouraged by the teachers, the study concluded, are consistent with what obtains at the national macro level.
Abstract: This paper sought to unpack the extent of students’ democratic involvement in the teaching and learning processes. Data that were analyzed were obtained from 253 teachers and 194 students from 15 secondary schools in Botswana using a closed questionnaire consisting of 31 question items. Although the sample may not be representative of all the schools in the country (only 15 out of 233 schools were studied), the study concluded that the teaching and learning activities are largely pursued in democratic environments where teachers consult students on important classroom decisions. These efforts are, however, constrained by the disturbing levels of bullying in the classroom reported by the students. The democratic practices encouraged by the teachers, the study concluded, are consistent with what obtains at the national macro level.
Key words: Democratic education, learner-centred teaching, academic freedom, children rights.
Journal Article•
TL;DR: This article used a kaleidoscope as a metaphor for a narrative and transformative curriculum and presented examples of the curricular concepts of currere and duoethnography for international democratic education.
Abstract: International democratic education (IDE) promotes principles of self-determination, a commitment to social justice for all people, and the engagement of cross-border dialogue grounded in local meanings with global implications. However, educators and students who wish to promote IDE are challenged by their perceptions of their personal and national narratives. The central question of this paper stems from these challenges: How do students and educators begin to imagine new possibilities for international democratic education when they go beyond the form that they know and have lived? The paper uses a kaleidoscope as a metaphor for a narrative and transformative curriculum and presents examples of the curricular concepts of currere and duoethnography. The paper further offers thoughts about how curriculum, both theoretical and lived, can play an exceptionally important role in the field of international democratic education.
01 Jan 2010
TL;DR: The progressive educational philosophy of John Dewey (1916/2004, 1938/1997) focused on the importance of educating students for life in democratic society as discussed by the authors, and it has been embraced by scholars in the field of social studies education interested in advancing both the study and practice of democratic citizenship with students.
Abstract: The progressive educational philosophy of John Dewey (1916/2004, 1938/1997) focused on the importance of educating students for life in democratic society. Because Dewey theorized that education and society were interactive and interdependent, he stressed that schooling must be understood as “a process of living and not a preparation for future living” (Dewey, 1897/2006, p. 24). For this reason his philosophy has been embraced by scholars in the field of social studies education interested in advancing both the study and practice of democratic citizenship with students. Parker (2008), one such scholar, argued “that democratic citizens need both to know democratic things and to do democratic things,” and “that a proper democratic education proceeds in both directions in tandem” (p. 65). From this view, social studies educators must be concerned both with what students learn as well as how they learn or apply those understandings and skills in their roles as citizens in a pluralistic democratic society.
Posted Content•
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that, for reasons of both political economy and normative political theory, American education should embrace its tradition of localist governance, and they propose that to do so, school district boundary lines be subject to periodic redistricting, under procedures similar to those used for electoral districting.
Abstract: Many scholars identify local educational governance as a root cause of inequality of educational opportunity in America. Advocates of educational reforms as disparate as school choice and the regionalization of school districts seem to agree that because localities are overwhelmingly stratified by race and class, localism causes inequity.This Article argues that, for reasons of both political economy and normative political theory, American education should embrace its tradition of localist governance. Local control remains the best hope for effective academic education and the only hope for effective democratic education.Increasing equity in the distribution of educational opportunity therefore requires the reconstitution, not the abandonment, of the local educational polity. This Article proposes that to do so, school district boundary lines be subject to periodic redistricting, under procedures similar to those used for electoral districting. At the end of each period, boundaries would be redrawn to minimize interdistrict variance in wealth. Between redrawings, districts would remain autonomous. This arrangement would strengthen voice and weaken exit, thus not only preserving but enhancing the robust localism that theorists of democracy and democratic education argue is crucial to educational governance. It would preserve allocative and productive efficiency. And, given institutional features of American state government, it would be judicially manageable, politically feasible, and bureaucratically implementable.
Dissertation•
01 Jan 2010
TL;DR: In this paper, an empirical study of teachers working with democracy projects was carried out using both indivdual and groups interviews, and the results showed that teachers' acting was influenced by several factors and that different situations showed specific features.
Abstract: The Swedish education system is governed by national steering documents, like the Education Act, curriculi and syllabuses. The democratic assignment is a central issue in these documents. The thesis aims to investigate how teachers handle this democratic assignment and how they are influenced by forces on different social levels.
The concept of democracy is open to many interpretations. Democracy in education has a wide meaning, according to John Dewey, including forms of life in society and not only decision making and political matters. The concept of recognition has been elaborated by writers like Nancy Fraser, Axel Honneth and Paul Ricoeur in a way that is suitable for an analysis of democratic processes in education. Basil Bernstein´s model for rights in pedagogy also fits well into the background of the concept of democracy.
The relation between human action and law is a central area for studies in Sociology of Law. In Sociology of Law at Lund University these studies have been centered around the concept of norms. In this study the norm concept is placed in the environment of professional teaching. The relative freedom of acting in a professional area focuses intentional norms, classified as teleological norms.
An empirical study of teachers working with democracy projects was carried out using both indivdual and groups interviews. The interviews showed that teachers took responsibility for democratic goals and that they needed support to be able to succeed The results showed that the teachers´ acting was influenced by several factors and that different situations showed specific features. Democratic teaching was thus set in multi-variate conditions of a complex system. It was however possible to detect a general dynamic teaching process with three dimensions of professional teaching. Teachers´ actions aimed to:
Improve the capacity to see the child/student
Become more critically aware of their own role
Increase the awareness of democratic issues
My conlusion is that this forms three active meta-norms in education for democracy. The meta-norms serve as a support for teachers in the complex and multi layered assignment of teaching democracy. As the meta-norms can clearly be linked to the theories of recognition they gain support by an ethical discussion in social philosophy. A practical consequence of this is that the concept of recognition presents both meaning and potentially powerful possibilities in developing methods for teaching democracy. Further studies in teachers acting can contrubute to the philosophical discussion on recognition, the knowledge on building of a future democracy and a deeper understanding of the relation between legislation and education.