In this essay, the authors posit that democratic backsliding, rather than partisanship, is the prevailing political situation in which civics and social studies teachers are working. The authors then present evidence from focus groups composed of practicing social studies teachers from across the United States to illustrate how the reliance on…

To address the need for social studies methods course instructors to help preservice teachers make learning and teaching citizenship education relevant, a qualitative case study that took on a content and thematic data analysis approach involving supplementing the curriculum with an oral history inquiry-based project was conducted on 38 elementary…

Purpose: This study pays attention to educational content in human rights education (HRE) at the early childhood education and care (ECEC) level. It aims to discuss the function of four content selection dimensions for discussing HRE content at the ECEC level. Design/methodology/approach: The aim is explored through a directed content analysis of…

Purpose: This study explores the extent to which critical thinking is present in assessment conversations in social studies. Design/methodology/approach: The study builds on data from a Norwegian social studies class in the 9th grade (13-14-year-olds). Students performed student-led assessment conversations in groups of four. The students'…

This article focuses on analysing the relations between expressions of historical consciousness and democracy as featured in the 2020 Norwegian Curriculum for Social Studies. In compulsory school in Norway, History is no longer a subject with a specific syllabus. However, there is a fundamental historical perspective running through the…

Human rights education (HRE) is increasingly finding its way into social studies curriculum in the U.S. In this growing field, there is little research on the challenges facing schools in the instantiation of HRE in relation to citizenship education (CE). This case study explores how a U.S. school is approaching and adapting to the growing…

Civics education is a hot topic, as evidence shows that American young people appear to be losing faith in democracy itself. State education leaders must sort through fervent disputes on what students ought to learn and make good decisions on standards, assessment and accountability, as well as incentives for districts' selection of quality…

This study investigated social science teachers' perceptions of and practices in global citizenship education (GCED) through a case study of two government primary schools in Bangladesh. The study was qualitative to obtain in-depth insight from the participants. The schools and participants were selected purposively. In-depth interviews were…

How can teachers engage students in participatory civic education in a state like Texas where education policy is interfering with the Rights of the Learner by refusing to allow educators to support students in becoming active participants in vital democratic processes? Texas Senate Bill 3, passed in 2021, prohibits teachers from directly…

The University of Southern California (USC) Democracy Project responds to the inadequacies of traditional civics education, particularly its failure to engage marginalized students in meaningful democratic participation. Grounded in the theories of John Dewey and Paulo Freire, the project uses an action civics model to connect students with…

Providing opportunities for elementary students to engage with enduring social issues, such as houselessness, is essential in preparing informed, engaged, and social justice-oriented citizens. This article draws from the following standards: (1) C3 Framework for Social Studies Standards that center inquiry; (2) Learning for Justice's Social…

Historically, education for active citizenship has not been a high priority in Finnish schools. In this discursive study of Finnish social studies textbooks for grades 4-6, we investigate how students are encouraged to practice active citizenship, where the focus of active citizenship lies, and how active citizenship is limited in antidemocratic…