Managing organizations in modern societies takes place through persuasion and the seductive use of language rather than, as in past societies, through physical violence and repression. In this respect new management discourses imply a linguistic process where actors within education gradually become defined within other frames of reference. This…

Students must understand the "head" as well as the "heart" part of volunteering and service portion of their civic education--why they should be a part of their community, why they should act for the common good, and how participating in their community dovetails with participation in the democratic process. There are many…

This paper uses three examples of educational innovation emerging in the contemporary context of market-liberal reform as a focus for exploring the patterns and possibilities of civic formation. The first part of the paper contextualises contemporary civic formation within the long historic struggle between capitalism and democracy, highlighting…

Political participation is critical for the legitimacy of democracy, yet we know surprisingly little about how political competencies develop and can be promoted in young adults. Many studies show low levels of political activity among young Americans, including college students and recent graduates. Although this is widely recognized as a…

Helping students learn how to engage thoughtfully with religious diversity is a vital component of democratic citizenship. This article argues for the importance of such a curriculum and considers the challenges and potential inherent in fostering "imaginative engagement" with religion in public school classrooms. It first explores conceptual…

The fifth grade social studies curriculum includes a study democracy within the context of United Sates history. The traditional approach to teaching the material focuses on stories of the white, male heroes of American History and calls on students to be passive recipients of information. History is presented as a series of events that "just…

This article examines the representation of conflict, diversity, peace, and justice issues in selected mandated curriculum guidelines, grades 1-10, for three Canadian provinces. These curricula, grounded in prevailing assumptions, reflect political will and influence resource availability for teaching. Prominent among them is a neutral discourse…

Class differences and class warfare have existed since the beginning of western civilization, but the gap in income and wealth between the rich (top 10 percent) and the rest has increased steadily in the last twenty-five years. The U.S. is heading for a financial oligarchy much worse than the aristocratic old world that our Founding Fathers feared…

Since 2001, classroom and pre-service teachers, along with high school and university students from Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Germany, Lithuania, Ukraine and the United States, have participated in an international workshop that focuses on preparing students and teachers for life in an increasingly interconnected world. These intercultural…

Received conceptualizations of scientific literacy are grounded in (1) the notions of "knowledge", "concepts", and "skills" that science students have to "acquire", "appropriate", or "construct" or (2) the notion of "practices" to which they have to be "enculturated" so that they become part of a "community of practice". All such notions…

This teaching guide contains two essays about Thomas Jefferson, along with teaching activities, resources and organizations, a chronology, and quotes. The two essays are: (1) "The Architect of Democracy" (Merrill D. Peterson); and (2) "Jefferson's Legacy: Civic Learning in Public Education" (R. Freeman Butts). Teaching…

The two issues of the journal SKOLE for 1993 contain original articles and reprints about small alternative schools, home schooling, school as community and community as school, racial and class inequalities in public schooling, and various educational philosophies and innovations. Major articles include: (1) "School As Community:…

This paper argued that a general theory that can provide a precise definition of educational goals and the means to accomplish them is absolutely necessary to resuscitate schooling, and that the classroom is the place where theory can be developed and tested. The paper makes the following points: (1) a general theory is vitally needed to deal with…

This teacher's guide is designed to accompany the videotape "Democracy and Right's: One Citizen's Challenge." The videotape takes a case-study approach toward understanding rights. It examines the story of Ernest Green, one of nine black students who helped integrate Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957. Green's case…

This report describes the results of eight focus groups held in four cities to explore findings of a comprehensive review of more than 30 recent public opinion polls concerning higher education. These findings were: (1) higher education enjoys a reservoir of good will; (2) a college education is seen as an essential credential for success; (3) the…