The paper is concerned with the relationship between hierarchy, democracy and action learning. It examines what hierarchy and democracy are and the pervasiveness of the former, noting critiques that have been made. The compatibility of democracy and hierarchy is reviewed, together with the extent to which democracy is democratic. It is proposed…

This article delineates a Confucian approach to a democratic classroom by drawing upon the educational thought of third-century philosopher Xunzi. It is argued that Xunzi's approach is generally compatible with the three salient features of a democratic classroom: (i) it is a way of life guided by the principles of equality, freedom, justice, and…

In times of growing societal complexity and uncertainty, traditional decision-making mechanisms such as the majority principle are increasingly reaching their limits. This article explores the interplay between Systemic Consensing (SC) and Action Learning (AL) as innovative, participatory approaches to decision-making that are committed to the…

This essay explores the interplay between action learning and democracy in organizations, institutions and society. We start by reflecting on the history of democracy as an emancipatory discourse in management learning and education. We elaborate on critical reflection in action-based approaches to learning and identify key elements of critical…

The article examines how Israeli state-secular education integrates the principle of continuity and change through human agency into its history curriculum, in order to cultivate democratic consciousness. Drawing on theorists such as John Dewey, Marc Bloch, and Peter Seixas, it evaluates the curriculum's potential, or its lack thereof, to promote…

One of the greatest challenges facing democracies is how to live together with difference. The growth of globalisation and international migration has presented schools with increased opportunities and challenges related to learning from and living with superdiversity. Yet within current policy settings and educational practices, the alignment…

At a time when extremist movements are gaining proportions on the world stage, it is relevant to reanalyse experiences that intended to establish democracy as a principle in school education. The School Republic was one of them, which was proposed by the Sampaio Dória Reform, in 1920, taking the New School as its context; the School Republic aimed…

This paper explores how democratic educational practices and action learning are applied in an MSc Human Resource Management Enhancement Programme (HRMEP) in a UK higher education context. Using a triple-layered model of reflective learning, the programme emphasises a participatory approach, critical reflection, and practical application of HRM…

The purpose of this paper is to present an empirical CAL project, HOLD ON, which developed leadership towards social, economic and ecological sustainability. The latter became a target area in the 2018 reform of the Swedish preschool's national curriculum, Lpfo18. A "Whole School Approach" (WSA) and "Education for Sustainable…

This article focuses on analysing the relations between expressions of historical consciousness and democracy as featured in the 2020 Norwegian Curriculum for Social Studies. In compulsory school in Norway, History is no longer a subject with a specific syllabus. However, there is a fundamental historical perspective running through the…

Civics courses have a great significance -- they are supposed to train new cohorts of citizens to engage in multiple public roles in (democratic) society. How it is done depends on a multitude of factors, and teachers' performance and program contents are among the most important. In post-authoritarian order like Poland, civic contents of…

The paper discusses the Finnish core curriculum (curriculum framework) for basic education, with focus on how lower secondary education in general, and history teaching specifically, is meant to develop the student's democratic citizenship. Developing the student's democratic citizenship is not an explicit aim of history teaching in the current…

This study explores the synergy between Action Learning (AL) and democratic practices within organisations, positioning Action Learning Sets (ALSs) as microcosms of representative democracy. It emphasises the pivotal role of trust-building -- particularly swift trust in virtual settings -- in fostering collaborative environments where democratic…

This study investigates the acquisition of normative knowledge and values about democracy by North Korean refugees in the United States through everyday experiences and academic concepts. Drawing on Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, which posits that knowledge is socially constructed and forms the basis of a society's culture, an analysis is…

Successive British Governments have promulgated policies and initiatives that have not only resulted in the marketisation of education but have, arguably, constructed a democratic deficit in relation to who represents the local in a neoliberal educational context. The article utilises a conceptual framework which encompasses notions of civility…