This paper draws on a large Australian commissioned research study that mapped classroom pedagogies called "productive pedagogies". The model of pedagogies derived from an admixture of theory and empirical observations and worked together what Fraser (1997) calls a politics of redistribution and a politics of recognition in its desire to…

Education is experiencing a case of misplaced accountability, where an exclusive reliance on high stakes tests overlooks the more subtle judgments of teachers and professional educators and, because of its simplicity, passes as democratic. This article investigates the theoretical underpinnings of current accountability initiatives and draws upon…

Parental and community involvement play a key role in the Chinese American students' fight for their rights. In order to understand the reasons behind the parental and community support of Chinese students, a survey was conducted among Chinese parents to assess what they know about language loss, power, knowledge, and democracy. The results…

The Ripon College (Wisconsin) education department is engaged in a major curriculum reform effort to include study in curriculum, pedagogy, and social foundations. In particular, an effective social foundations curriculum is being implemented to engage students in the historical, political, sociological, and philosophical ideas that impact…

This book argues that democratic education should equip citizens to be "the measure of all things." The volume contends that the voices of society should develop the skills of questioning, criticizing, and reconstructing the language of the day in order to dissect the rhetoric of politics, economy, and culture. But the volume asserts that these…

This digest briefly summarizes the contents of the "Civics Framework for the 1998 National Assessment of Educational Progress" in terms of the Framework's development and components including civic knowledge, civic skills, and civic dispositions. The framework may be used to inform and guide curriculum development projects in civics and…

This user guide covers "Liberty and Justice," and offers suggestions for preparatory activities, lessons, and follow-up activities for primary, intermediate, and upper grade students. Goals for the series are to help children: (1) become familiar with the democratic process and active citizenship; (2) recognize what it means to be a citizen in a…

Latvia, formerly a Soviet state, has been attempting to create an independent democratic country since the late 1980s. This paper describes the history of Latvia's political culture in relation to the country's democratization, particularly in its schools over the last decade. Although many Latvian institutions have been slow to change, visible…

This journal issue describes in detail the work of a Trans-European Mobility Schemes for University Studies (TEMPUS) project, directed by John Sayer and based in the Department of Educational Studies of the University of Oxford. The project's activities, concerned principally with the development of democratic processes in the elementary,…

Based on conclusions of a 1993 meeting of national leaders in higher education (the Wingspread Group on Higher Education), this book charges that higher education is not meeting society's needs and suggests fundamental areas for attention. It sees demographic, economic and technical changes as increasing the importance of good higher education for…

The Child Development Project (CDP) was designed to enhance the development of prosocial characteristics in school children in kindergarten through sixth grade. It was developed and evaluated in a school district (San Ramon) in the San Francisco, California area. The features of the program include: (1) an instructional approach that enhances…

Since 1789, the Supreme Court has been making decisions that affect all U.S. citizens. The study of Supreme Court cases, therefore, should be an integral part of civic education. This ERIC Digest discusses: (1) constitutional issues and Supreme Court cases that should be taught; and (2) effective strategies for teaching them. It also includes a…

This issue of "this Constitution" is devoted to commemorating the bicentennial of the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution. Materials include: "A Chronology of Civil Liberties and Civil Rights in the United States" (Herman Belz); "Constitutional Power to Enforce Individual Rights: The Legacy of McCulloch v.…

In order to understand the mechanisms of the socializing processes associated with citizenship development in the United States, it is necessary to study the interactions of ideology, education, and cultural pluralism as they are manifested in educational programs and in the processes of child development. The means and methods for understanding…

The prevalent use of sophisticated advertising techniques in political campaigns presents the great danger that citizens can be manipulated to make political decisions out of emotion rather than rational thought. Citizens must be provided with the educational tools needed to detect the bias, distortion, and other tactics used to influence them.…