This study employs Deardoff's (2006; 2009) model of cultural competence and applies it to an undergraduate preservice teacher course on children's literature in order to address concerns that preparation programs are not providing opportunities for students to discuss socio-historical issues and cultural inequities. Qualitative data was collected…

To be active members of a democracy, young people need to develop skills in active citizenship participation. Within New Zealand, there are opportunities to develop such skills within the social-studies curriculum as well as within the personal social-action achievement standards in NCEA (Levels 1-3). Drawing on a 2-year research project with…

Responding to a call for national reform of mathematical education, as well as a college-wide revision of general education (GE) requirements, we describe a new entry-level, GE course focused on the humanitarian utility of mathematics. This includes a detailed overview of how we taught the course using a Humanitarian MATLAB Lab Manual developed…

Recent surveys have indicated a worryingly low level of support for democracy among Australian youth and around the world. For example, in the 2017 Lowy Institute Poll, 36% of Australians indicated that, in some circumstances, a nondemocratic government is preferable. Such concerns, while hardly new, have triggered calls for more civic education…

Utilizing data from the 2009 College Senior Survey, this study measured and compared social agency and civic awareness among undergraduate students enrolled at four types of institutions: Baptist, CCCU, Catholic, and nonsectarian. Comparisons were made through paired-sample t-tests and ANOVA analyses. A series of separate multiple regressions were…

Suburban poverty has significantly increased over the past decade, creating new challenges for teachers in suburban school districts. These challenges include teachers working with children who have housing and food insecurities or are homeless, family instability, chronic stressors, social and emotional struggles, lack of attachment or positive…

The purpose of the present study was to explore the lived experiences and psychological dynamics of current and formerly homeless adults on the island of Oahu, ages 18 to 55 years old. There are four key findings in this study. First, analysis of the data revealed some key psychological dynamics: addiction issues, mental health issues, childhood…

This article explores how school-aged Chinese youth make meaning of the civic roles of citizens in the context of a society with a powerful one-party government. We examined how 16 focus groups (N = 64) of adolescents from urban and rural schools in Shanghai and Nantong talked about the causes and solutions of social problems facing China. Our…

The aim of this study is to evaluate opinions of prospective teachers attending Social Sciences Teaching Department Primary Education Section on the objectives of Human Rights Education in the scope of Citizenship and Democracy Education Curriculum. This study is vital for learning of democratic life. 25 prospective teachers studying in the 8th…

This qualitative study draws from Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory, which emphasizes interaction between the systems of education. The study argues that if teachers are able to cater for diversity in their classes, the vision of inclusive education will be realized. Inclusive education requires all learners with the diverse needs to be able to…

Higher levels of civic and community engagement in higher education are positively associated with students' academic performance and they also build upon citizenship skills such as informed voting. Yet, while these are worthy and important outcomes of higher education, students from disadvantaged backgrounds can have more difficulty navigating…

This research is a study of the educational systems of South Africa and the United States in a comparative perspective. The research examines the success and failures of the two systems, taking black student dropout rates as a case study for understanding the structural, philosophical and public policy foundations of the genesis and development of…

With increasing demands for universities to create graduates that are numerically and scientifically literate, it is important to determine effective ways to engage students so that they can acquire these literacies. Using an undergraduate, interdisciplinary course that focused on scientific and mathematical literacy, I examined how…

The August 2011 riots in England occasioned widespread condemnation from government and the media. Here, we apply the concepts of hypocrisy and affiliation to explore reactions to these riots. Initially acknowledging that politics necessitates a degree of hypocrisy, we note that some forms of hypocrisy are indefensible: they compromise integrity.…

Using sociologist C. Wright Mill's analogy of the trap, this piece invites readers to think about the Common Core State Standards beyond the classroom, outward toward its historical and political context. The traps describe the connection between larger social issues related to the implementation of the Common Core and changes at the classroom…