Education Commons^™

Reconceptualizing Democratic Citizenship: Meeting Our Civic Obligations. A Book Review Of The Bill Of Obligations: The Ten Habits Of Good Citizenship, James J. Carpenter

Democracy and Education

The greatest threat to American democracy is the failure of Americans to fulfill 10 critical obligations of citizenship. This book is a call to action that also stresses the importance of a democratic civic education.

Public Schooling For Democracy. A Book Review Of Public Education: Defending A Cornerstone Of American Democracy, Ellis E. Reid V

Democracy and Education

This essay is a book review of Public Education: Defending a Cornerstone of American Democracy.

Making Curricular Space For Critical Media Literacy And Human Rights Education In The United States, Mischa Geracoulis

International Journal of Human Rights Education

This essay draws from a study conducted as part of graduate thesis work at George Mason University. The thesis examined the purpose of human rights education and critical media literacy, and the international inducements to include these subjects in the national education systems of United Nations (UN) member states. It compared the United States (U.S.) educational system to those of other, similarly developed UN member states that have successfully implemented human rights education and critical media literacy into their national education. The comparison revealed a lack of implementation in the U.S. despite its member state status and agreement to do …

Artificial Intelligence: The Road More Traveled. Writing And Conducting Research With Ai, Laura Zucca-Scott, Samuel Stinson

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

This project illustrates and discusses actionable examples of how collaborative, supportive virtual or in-person environments can foster democratic learning models in the age of Artificial Intelligence.

The workshop models, whether in person or virtual, provide dialogical opportunities for growth. Critically examining information and developing writing skills become crucial in supporting scholarly growth and intellectual exploration while providing access to academic pursuits to otherwise marginalized individuals and groups.

The experiences we share are situated in a specific context and are interconnected with the perspectives, backgrounds, and expectations of the scholars involved. However, as the writing workshops continue to evolve due to …

Inservice Professional Development For Educators In A Democracy: Moving From Theory To Practice, Rachel Lynn Wadham

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents research that addresses the question of how professional development influences inservice teachers' professional identity. In three journal articles, specific inquiries address research questions drawn from this broader conversation. In article one, we answered the question of what unifying characteristics democratic educators exhibit in their pedagogies and methods. By conducting an integrative literature review, we find that those who indicate that they are democratic educators used four major pedagogical categories including inquiry methods, artistic methods, oral methods, and student-centered methods. In the second article, we addressed the question of how professional development influences teachers' professional civic identities. In …

Healing A Generation; Implementation Of Higher Education Curricula For Venezuelan Journalism Students Living Under Structural Violence To Promote A Transition Into Democracy, José Luis Jiménez-Figarotti Prof.

The SUNY Journal of the Scholarship of Engagement: JoSE

Venezuela's sociopolitical landscape has deteriorated significantly over the past decade, culminating in a profound humanitarian crisis. This ethnography, conducted from 2015 to the present, explores the experiences of a study group comprising 2000 Venezuelan communication college students, aged 17 to 25, who navigate structural violence while striving for quality higher education. The research employed a multifaceted approach, encompassing interviews, focus groups, and observations. Additionally, this qualitative study examines the outcomes of implementing an interdisciplinary journalism curriculum grounded in human rights and media activism, complemented by online sessions and an environmental education component. This educational project aims to foster critical thinking …

Integrating Democracy Learning And Prophetic Social Studies At Baitusalam Islamic School Yogyakarta, Nasiwan Nasiwan, Taat Wulandari, Agustina Tri Wijayanti

Jurnal Civics: Media Kajian Kewarganegaraan

This paper describes an attempt to integrate Islamic and scientific values into social studies education with the aim of developing prophetic social science theory to explain social problems from this perspective. The study focuses on the implementation of this theory at Baitusalam Islamic School in Yogyakarta, using qualitative research methods such as observation, interviews, and documentation. The findings suggest that social studies learning Islamic values that develop boarding power, with the learning process incorporating these values into planning, implementation, and assessment. However, the study also identifies challenges in the integration process, such as the lack of student textbook references that …

Type Vs. Turnout: Correlations Between Types Of Higher Education Institutions And Student Voter Turnout, Janea Mccoy

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Voter turnout in the youth demographic has been the subject of increased attention and research in the past several years, with many questions left unanswered. The 18-25 age demographic can play a crucial and impactful role in elections. However, many young adults do not vote. Higher education has often been viewed as a catalyst for civic engagement amongst this age demographic, with correlations between enrollment in higher education and increased rates of voter turnout being evident. Given there is much variation between different kinds of institutions, however, this raises the question: what types of institutions and their respective characteristics correlate …

Social Movements, Deliberation, And Educational Governance. A Response To “Pragmatist Thinking For A Populist Moment”, Ellis Reid

Democracy and Education

In this response essay, the author provides an account of the role of social movements in a democracy as part of a larger argument about democratic school governance. Focusing on Black Lives Matter (BLM), the author contends that social movements like BLM support a vibrant and legitimate democracy because they constitute vital nodes in the ongoing, norm-governed conversation that constitutes democratic politics. To make this argument, the author defends an account of democratic deliberation that recognizes (1) the contribution of emotion to our capacity for reason and (2) the fact that deliberation extends beyond the confines of official democratic fora. …

Liberating Children, Or Breaking The Backbone Of Our Democracy? A Book Review Of Hostages No More: The Fight For Education Freedom And The Future Of The American Child, Jeffrey Frenkiewich

Democracy and Education

In Hostages No More, former Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos provides a 10-chapter memoir in which she argues for school privatization, including the expansion of government funding of charter schools. DeVos argues that the modern public education system, supported by an “establishment” of government bureaucracies, the education industrial complex, and teacher unions, holds American children, especially poor Black and Hispanic children, “hostage” (DeVos, 2022, p. 261) and that her life’s work has been a civil rights struggle to help parents and their children obtain their “education freedom” (p. 216). However, many of her claims are supported with misleading information, and …

Woke Capitalism: How Corporate Morality Is Sabotaging Democracy And A World Of Three Zeros: The New Economics Of Zero Poverty, Zero Unemployment, And Zero Net Carbon Emissions (Book Reviews), Marc L. Andreas

Pro Rege

Reviewed Titles: Woke Capitalism: How Corporate Morality is Sabotaging Democracy by Carl Rhodes (Bristol University Press) 2021, 240 pp. ISBN: 9781528211665; and A World of Three Zeros: The New Economics of Zero Poverty, Zero Unemployment, and Zero Net Carbon Emissions by Muhammed Yunnus (New York: Public Affairs Press) 2017, 304 pp. ISBN: 9781610397575.

Dungeons & Dragons & Dewey: Toward A Ludic Pedagogy Of Democratic Civic Life Through The Philosophy Of John Dewey And Tabletop Role-Playing Games, Susan Haarman

Dissertations

In this dissertation, which uses philosophical inquiry, I posit that tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) can provide an educative experience for democratic civic life in the Deweyan tradition. Tabletop RPGs present an invaluable resource for ongoing civic formation by encouraging deliberation and consensus building across shared goals and circumstances. Philosopher John Dewey emphasized that democracy is defined by the civic habits and collective action, not formal governance structures. The experience of playing tabletop RPGs can cultivate habitus and space for future and current citizens to practice democratic skills and commitments. Therefore, these games are a means that align with the ends …

Iea International Civic And Citizenship Education Study 2022: Assessment Framework, Wolfram Schulz, Julian Fraillon, Bruno Losito, Gabriella Agrusti, John Ainley, Valeria Damiani, Tim Friedman

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

The International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) investigates the preparation of young people to undertake their roles as citizens. It gathers and analyzes data from representative national samples on students’ conceptual knowledge and understanding of civics and citizenship, as well as their attitudes to, and engagement with, aspects of civics and citizenship. ICCS builds on a succession of IEA studies in this field dating back to 1971, and especially since 2009. The 2022 study has been developed to build on previous perspectives on, and monitor changes in, such enduring issues as: levels of civic knowledge and understanding; patterns of …

Why Did The Biggest U.S Democracy Project Fail In Afghanistan After 20 Years Of War And Millions Of Dollars Spent?, Jalil Sadat

Senior Projects Spring 2023

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Social Studies of Bard College

Family Moves And The Future Of Public Education, Elizabeth Chu, James S. Liebman, Madeleine Sims, Tim Wang

Faculty Scholarship

State laws compel school-aged children to attend school while fully funding only public schools. Especially following the COVID-19 pandemic, this arrangement is under attack — from some for unconstitutionally coercing families to expose their children to non-neutral values to which they object and from others for ignoring the developmental needs of students, particularly students of color and in poverty whom public schools have long underserved. This Article argues that fully subsidized public education is constitutional as long as public schools fulfill their mission to model and commit people to liberal democratic values of tolerance and respect for all persons as …

A New Direction For Public Understanding Of Science: Toward A Participant-Centered Model Of Science Engagement., Christopher Rickels

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Engaging the public with science is not an easy task. When presented, scientific findings, public health recommendations, and other scientific information filter through the personal values, beliefs, and biases of members of the public. Science communicators must contend with these differences in order to be effective in cultivating a public understanding of science. Given the importance of scientific understanding for living well in a complex world, increasing science understanding through science engagement is imperative. The field of public engagement with science is dichotomized by a public information deficit approach and a contextualist approach. The deficit approach prizes the factual content …

Democracy In Action: A Book Review Of John Dewey’S Imaginative Vision Of Teaching: Combining Theory And Practice, B. Jacob Del Dotto

Democracy and Education

With his new book, John Dewey’s Imaginative Vision of Teaching: Combining Theory and Practice, Deron Boyles set out to explore the confluence of Deweyan practice in real-world educational settings. Arguing there is a dearth of books analyzing Dewey’s pedagogical philosophy in these settings, Boyles detailed and clarified Dewey’s imaginative vision of teaching via the blending of theory and case studies. This approach honors the merger of theory and action that characterizes Dewey’s unique brand of pragmatism. Here, Boyles gave credence to Dewey’s claim that philosophy can be recovered by applying it to our own, real-world problems. This easily accessible …

Gentle Action Theory As A Method Of Deliberative Democracy In Addressing The Lack Of Voice For Indigenous Students In Institutions Of Higher Education, Carma J. Corcoran

Amplify: A Journal of Writing-as-Activism

This paper examines how Indigenous college students attending non-tribal colleges and universities in the United States experience feelings of alienation and marginalization. The concept of democracy and deliberation from the model of the larger oppressive society is not a cultural norm. Civic engagement is experienced differently in Indigenous communities. This paper articulates the outcomes of a deliberative forum which examined the concept of democracy employing Gentle Action Theory as the method to provide the students an opportunity to share their thoughts and experiences and to express their frustrations and needs regarding their academic endeavors. The comparison of Traditional Ways and …

Maximizing Student Citizenship Education, Consuelo Gallardo

The Nebraska Educator: A Student-Led Journal

Increasingly, global statistics have pointed out that young citizens are disengaged from democratic participation. This has captured public attention and led some countries to start creating educational policies as an attempt to implement educational citizenship programs to prepare young citizens to be active participants in a democratic society. Nevertheless, little is known regardless of the impact of those programs on democratic countries like Ecuador and the role of active citizenship at the educational level. It has led Ecuadorian younger population to avoid engaging in active social and political participation. Therefore, some national policies, international reports, specific topics related to citizenship …

Inspiring Active Citizenship In The Community From Within The Classroom, Nathan A. Halm

Honors Projects

This project presents an alternative to contemporary civic education courses and methods in an attempt to inspire students to become Active Citizens. Fighting against common sentiments surrounding contemporary politics such as divisiveness, polarization, apathy, and disenfranchisement, this project provides a framework for students to engage at the local level in an effective and genuine way.

Critical Thinking In The Age Of Misinformation: Information Literacy For Citizenship, Tamra Ortgies-Young, Jennfer Lobo Meeks, Barbara Robertson

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

As recent political events across the globe have shed a light on the fragility of democratic values, the role of the University in creating a framework for civic education becomes more urgent. Informed, caring and engaged citizenry must be a goal of higher education. Students currently face the emergence of faulty types of information - such as misinformation and disinformation, which undermines the notion of collective or public inquiry, not only within universities, but also within society as a whole. This challenge must be acknowledged and addressed by academic institutions.

Session presenters will provide an overview of their work, “Critical …

Developing A Super-Vision Of Education: Oh, No. I’Ve Said Too Much, But Maybe I Haven’T Said Enough, Carl Glickman

Journal of Educational Supervision

In this personal and candid essay by Carl Glickman, he examines the confluence of early experiences with his evolving concepts and theories of education, supervision, democracy, and school renewal that resulted in his studies, activities, university and school networks and partnerships, and widely read books. He covers the first 33 years of his life including being a child of immigrants and freedom from adults; academics, social life, and speech disability; identity, new worlds, and marriage; the teacher corps and forced integration of schools; the years as a principal of schools; and the origins of developmental supervision; and the significance of …

Democratic Belonging As Informed Citizenry - Empowering Faculty To Empower Learners Via Information Literacy, Anna Santucci, Amanda K. Izenstark, Mary C. Macdonald

Public Services Faculty Presentations

Presentation at the AAC&U 2022 Annual Meeting as a Pre-Meeting Workshop.

Responsible citizens need the agility to navigate a changing information landscape. Intentionally designing learning experiences that integrate accessible Information Literacy (IL) skills for all students is a crucial step towards educational justice, a paramount responsibility in the democratic mission of our institutions. With this goal, the University of Rhode Island’s Office for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning has partnered with instruction librarians since 2018 in developing and facilitating a High Impact Teaching Seminar for faculty. Participants will learn about the seminar’s theoretical framework, impact and structure, engage in …

Iea International Civic And Citizenship Education Study 2022: Assessment Framework [Early Online Version], Wolfram Schulz, Julian Fraillon, John Ainley, Bruno Losito, Valeria Damiani, Tim Friedman

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

The International Civic and Citizenship Study (ICCS) 2022 continues IEA’s investigation into the ways in which young people understand and are prepared to be citizens in a world where contexts of democracy and civic participation continue to change. This assessment framework provides insight into the study’s conceptual background, cognitive, affective-behavioral and contextual content, and assessment design. It also describes content relevant for the measurement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that is related to Global Citizenship Education (GCED) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Countries that participated in ICCS 2009, ICCS 2016, and ICCS 2022 will be able …

The Story Circle As A Practice Of Democratic, Critical Inquiry, Natalie M. Fletcher, Maughn Rollins Gregory, Peter Shea, Ariel Sykes

Department of Educational Foundations Scholarship and Creative Works

The authors of this essay have been committed practitioners and teachers of Philosophy for Children in a variety of educational settings, from pre-schools through university doctoral programs and in adult community and religious education programs. The promotion of critical thinking has always been a primary goal of this movement. But communal practices of critical thinking need to include other kinds of democratic conversation that prompt us to see others as full-fledged persons and to be curious about how our being in community with them makes growth and self-correction possible. As we continue to experiment and innovate in new contexts we …

Practices To Live With, Invitations For Change. A Book Review Of Descriptive Inquiry In Teacher Practice: Cultivating Practical Wisdom In Create Democratic Schools, Dana Frantz Bentley

Democracy and Education

This review explores the discourse between theory and practice put forth in Cara E. Furman and Cecelia E. Traugh's Descriptive Inquiry in Teacher Practice: Cultivating Practical Wisdom to Create Democratic Schools. Through the practice of descriptive inquiry, these two authors engage in a lively examination of schools and educators developing individualized democratic practices. This review explores the engaging conversations between schools, educators, and school communities as they learn to center their democratic teaching on human dignity, and a focus on practical wisdom.

Scientifically Based Research And Teacher Agency: Combating “Conspiracies Of Certainty”, Kurt Stemhagen, Brionna C. Nomi

Democracy and Education

This project considers how certain types of educational research position teachers as problems to be managed or worked around. We start with a discussion of scientifically based research (SBR), particularly how the quest for generalization/objectivity are often pursued at the expense of relevance. We use the way teachers are positioned in the growing field of Implementation Science as an example of what’s wrong with SBR. A fundamental tension emerges—researchers’ need for scientific control is inescapably at odds with the idea of teacher as professional. Finally, we provide an example of an approach that has potential to counter the SBR-influenced idea …

Implementing An Experiential Learning Program Focused On Civic Leadership To Produce Social Justice Outcomes, Glenn A. Bowen, Courtney A. Berrien

Experiential Learning & Teaching in Higher Education

This article describes a civic learning and leadership development program aimed at cultivating civic mindedness and preparing students for social change roles in community settings. Participating students tackle social issues as viewed through a systemic change lens; they explore the root causes of specific social issues and then work collaboratively with community partners to address those issues. The program’s student learning outcomes assessment has shown that participants generally become civic-minded graduates, with the demonstrable capacity and desire to work with others for social change. The authors explain the practice-based approach to the program, summarize social justice outcomes, and delineate program …

Higher Education's Contributions To The U.S. Democratic Society, Robert L. Williams, Charaya C. Upton

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

College experiences can contribute to teaching, learning, and instruction within higher education. The framework for this essay treats the college community as prototypic of the U.S. political society. Several aspects of the national political culture have been approximated within a collegiate culture. For example, every political problem within our society can be represented in a miniature fashion within a program of studies in a university. Much of students’ political information can come from the interaction between teachers and students. However, a sizable portion of this learned information can extend through interaction among students. At that point, teachers would point students …

Do Media Literacies Approach Equity And Justice?, Paul Mihailidis, Srividya Ramasubramanian, Melissa Tully, Bobbie Foster, Emily Riewestahl, Patrick Johnson, Sydney Angove

Journal of Media Literacy Education

It is often assumed that media literacy serves to protect and uphold democratic practice and that media literate citizens are the best safeguards for democracy. However, little attention is paid to defining this practice and its relationship to ongoing inequities within democratic societies. In this essay, we argue media literacy operates from three core assumptions; media literacy creates knowledgeable individuals, empowers communities, and encourages democratic participation. The first assumption draws out an individual’s skills and critical thinking in media literacy practices. The second assumption focuses on the community aspect of media literacy, specifically which communities are best served by media …