Although multicultural education and teaching for and to equity and diversity often are viewed in higher education as important around the globe, the mismatch between theory and public opinion can remain a challenge when teaching the subject. This study investigates student attitudes and learning before and after completing a course in race,…

This report seeks to confront the contemporary political challenge to the academic community by exploring how free universities contribute to the common good even as they create political tensions between themselves and society that require the protection of academic freedom. At the same time, the report suggests ways that protection may be…

To date, Early Childhood Education (ECE) courses and curriculum are primarily focused on a being gender neutral and teaching non-traditional gender practices in childcare settings. Further, many child care providers, specifically ECE teachers, are women. This paper describes how many teachers in childcare settings are teaching boys and girls to…

The theoretical framework of this article considers the significant place of education in the socialisation and enculturation of children. This requires that student teachers develop critical pedagogies as a means of promoting equity, pupil voice and democratic structures in schools. Key to this is Cole's concept of "isms" and…

This paper explores the issues that secondary history teachers on an initial teacher education (ITE) programme in England encounter in attempting to incorporate more cultural and ethnic diversity into the history curriculum. It also assesses the impact that changes in their training course had on their views and pedagogical practice. Using…

This qualitative study explores pre-service teachers' perceptions of teaching critical literacy through discussions of controversial issues. Personality questionnaires were given to six classes of pre-student teachers over three semesters in order to gauge interest in teaching methods that incorporate inquiry learning and critical literacy. The…

Who could possibly be against teaching social responsibility? Quite a few people, it turns out--as anyone who survived the controversy in the 1980s and early 1990s over outcomes-based education (OBE) can attest. A look back at that abandoned effort offers three lessons for those who advocate teaching values and civic virtue. These lessons are: (1)…

This article explores the challenges to citizenship associated with globalization, focusing in particular on the growth of interest in human rights, cosmopolitanism and moral outrage in the context of increasing fragmentation, individualization and social inequality. It suggests that there is an interest in developing through global citizenship…

Premised on the notion that any educational programme for pre-service teachers pursues excellence in both academics and social justice, teacher educators must capacitate student teachers to work in areas of social justice. Pre-service teachers must subsequently be assisted to become professionally qualified teachers who are prepared to move…

Many controversial subjects characterize geography in the 21st century. Issues such as climate change, sustainability and social exclusion generate much discussion and often involve clear differences in opinion of how they might be addressed. Higher education is an important space for critical engagement with challenging issues. Preparing for and…

This article attempts a contrast to the contribution by Hugh Starkey. Rather than his account of the inexorable rise of human rights discourse, and of the implementation of human rights standards, human rights are here presented as always and necessarily scandalous and highly contested. First, I explain why the UK has lagged so far behind its…

Progress has been made in addressing socioscientific issues, such as debates about merits of nuclear power, by encouraging school students to consider complex issues and take positions about them. We contend, however, that they also need to learn to take research-informed actions to address issues. In the study reported here, we concluded--based…

Scientific and environmental literacy are cornerstones of science education reform and twenty first century citizenry. The ability to make decisions about socioscientific issues is a characteristic of scientific and environmental literacy. This study uses the Sustainability Triad to explore preservice science teachers' analyses and decision-making…

Using the story of a fight between an African American male student and a white male student in a high school classroom, I trace not only the raced and classed actors involved, but also the story of my sense making as a practicing teacher and researcher. Drawing on the concept of intersectionality, I show how a story that seems as simple as a…

The author explores the place of feminism in teaching through the lens of rhetorical dexterity, providing a case study.