Most researchers who have investigated the relationship between the media and education have asserted that coverage of education has a negative impact on public perceptions of, and support for, public education. Much of this research relies on negative case examples and cross-sectional data to make this claim. This article calls into question the…

Growing up in the late 1960s and 1970s, the author learned about inequality and slavery, about how the poor were treated, and about the role played by skin color in dividing the haves from the have-nots. She also learned about separate and unequal schools and how privileged whites received a better education. From the very beginning, the United…

This study focuses on an attempt by a Swedish secondary school teacher to fashion a more participatory education situation by involving his students in deciding the rules for their group work. Five group sessions were video recorded and examined using a conversation-analytic approach. The findings show a complex interplay between democratic and…

This paper examines the impact of implementing democratic school leadership via advisory school councils in Philippine public secondary schools. Through an experiment with empirical surveys and interviews, this study reveals that the experimental group had higher levels of commitment, empowerment and trust compared with the control group after one…

While the politics of curriculum reform occupy adults, high stakes get played out in crowded classrooms. As a component of democratic inquiry, how might teachers engage students in a study of those agendas shaping their education? What sorts of conceptual resources could help? To begin to answer these questions, I briefly review scholars who…

Using a qualitative case study approach, the authors explore social justice implications of inservice principals' practices that affect attitudes and empower teachers. If a primary educational goal of progressive schooling is to create and sustain more democratic schools by enabling the growth of teachers as leaders who are responsible for their…

The idea of collective decision making in schools has been a popular democratic educational reform model. One of its claims is that participation in school decision making empowers teachers and improves teaching. This research investigates this claim by exploring seven teachers' experiences with a unique democratic school reform in Porto Alegre,…

A comprehensive update of the classic study that delivers both a passionate plea and strategies for teachers, parents, and community organizers to give working-class children the same type of empowering education and powerful literacy skills that the children of upper- and middle-class people receive. The classic, indispensable guide for teachers,…

Writers in this journal have presented a number of strategies that sociology teachers can use to facilitate the expression--and serious analysis--of unpopular opinions. This article contributes to this dialog by illustrating the application of a Bill of Rights learning module. In this module, students are expected to create a document that…

The Asia Barometer Survey of 1,038 respondents shows that most Singaporeans are happy and enjoy life, although they do not feel a correspondingly high level of accomplishment. Good health, a comfortable home, a job, time with family and having enough to eat emerged as key priorities in life. While Singaporeans are most satisfied with their…

Democracy is not a "machine that would go of itself," but according to this paper, must be consciously reproduced, one generation instructing the next in the knowledge and skills, as well as in the civic character and commitments required for its sustenance. This paper invites concerned citizens to join in a nation-wide discussion of…

Democratic values are supported and promoted best in the elementary school when educational experiences are so conducted that the individual grows in stature to think and choose for himself. (RC)

Describes the serious financial crises facing the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions in Santa Barbara, California. (PG)

Aspects of the language in the Watergate tapes are examined. (JH)

The author discusses the history of separation of education and political action and points out the need for developing education for social responsibility and educated social action. (HMD)