Dealing with controversial issues is one of the most important tasks teachers perform. In this article, the author presents a few core concepts and research findings that are essential for understanding what teaching controversial issues is all about and why it is so important to develop capability in this methodology.

The dramatic increase in hate-related bullying and culturally and/or racially offensive comments or symbols in the wake of the 2016 election came as a surprise for many educators across the United States. Research points to both an increase in frequency of hate related speech and controversy in schools, and teachers reporting a lack of training,…

This article reflects experiences of two racialized professors from a Critical Race Theory (CRT) paradigm teaching in Canadian teacher preparation and educational leadership programs across multiple universities. The analysis of their lived experiences as counter-stories through storytelling focuses on how their identities, bodies, course content,…

Increasingly, college students are challenging the content of courses and criticizing faculty as promoting their own viewpoints in the classroom. Some feel faculty cannot and should not attempt to "neutralize" their lectures; others prefer that teachers encourage communication and public debate on controversial issues. (MSE)

Claims that undergraduate curricula show a tension between a commitment to diversity and a commitment to coherence. Argues that the issues of "minority" students--including Blacks, homosexuals, and women--must be included to teach the value of encountering, listening to, and establishing a connection with different lifestyles and…

This digest summarizes a larger document of the same title which takes the position that because American democracy is founded on the premise that citizens need to engage in free and open discussion of opposing points of view, it is important that intellectual conflict become part of college instruction. It suggests several ways in which…

The thesis of this book is that intellectual conflict is an important and powerful instructional tool which should become part of day-to-day student life in colleges and universities. Properly structured academic controversy results in increased achievement, better problem-solving and decision-making skills, more positive interpersonal skills, and…

Designed as a practical guide for English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) teachers in facilitating adult students' access to information about Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), this manual offers materials, techniques, and guidelines for teachers who wish to introduce the topic into their curricula, and some discussion of the ESL teacher's…