As social studies teachers, the authors feel they have a moral and ethical responsibility to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to become active participants in democracy. This starts with a transformative social studies curriculum that promotes critical thinking, is meaningful and relevant to the lives of…

Across the nation, schools are experiencing student activism in the form of protests, such as sit-ins and walkouts, in response to local and national events. These types of activities may occur in school buildings, elsewhere on school grounds, or during off-campus school-related activities. School leaders and educators should examine ways to allow…

Research to date has pointed out that during periods of curriculum reform, public debate gets politicised resulting in an over-emphasis on top-down approaches to curriculum making. As a group of curriculum inquiry researchers, we are concerned that teachers, students, school leaders and community organisations are often side-lined as integral…

In Swedish schools, the so-called 'Participation Model' is used to observe and analyse participation, with the intention of supporting an inclusive learning environment. While this model is widely promoted by government agencies, its theoretical alignment to the concept(s) of inclusion is not established. This article therefore compares and maps…

Effective collective learning demands that educators be fully present and actively engaged--both mentally and physically--during professional learning community (PLC) meetings. When teams build norms that explicitly support a culture of presence, honesty, and continuous reflection, they create an environment where every educator can contribute…

A teacher educator shares how a school community engaged family in parent-child interactive reading experiences around big ideas found in diverse literature to deepen inclusion beyond the classroom.

A survey of the nation's civic health reveals troubling trends, with historic lows in trust among individuals and key institutions such as government, media, and the courts. Political polarization has significantly increased among Americans in the last 40 years, surpassing eight other democratic nations and challenging the idea that it is merely a…

More and more young people are raising their voices for issues that are important to their communities and their generation. However, research suggests that young people perceive a lack of opportunity to influence decisions and policy makers. This can generate concern and, in some cases, anxiety as many feel unable to address issues such as…

Citizenship classes are often taught directly to the test. Creating meaningful dialogue within the confines of a set vocabulary list, 100 questions, and a time limit can often prove difficult. Creating not only new citizens but citizens who are connected to their community and who are leaders/advocates for the people in their community is the main…

Conducting rigorous impact studies that produce actionable evidence for educators and policymakers is a key goal of the Standards for Excellence in Education Research (SEER). Although studies can be initiated by individual districts or schools, researchers often conduct their own studies to address broadly relevant questions about the…

This theoretical paper focuses on the social processes of public engagement with science and their implications for science education. The core of our argument is that science education should help people become better at evaluating, using, and curating their epistemic networks to make personal and civic decisions and to understand the natural…

In the elementary years, social studies is an essential subject, critical to young learners' academic success and well-being. The success of our democracy depends on equitable access to this vital learning for all students. Social studies must be taught in every classroom starting in PreK so learners can develop into civically knowledgeable,…

Experiential learning and reflective dialogue are essential components of leadership learning. When leadership educators incorporate these practices into leadership training, they provide opportunities for leadership learners to develop foundational knowledge and skills for engaging in the leadership process. To effectively facilitate leadership…

In the present manuscript an experiential exercise is presented that requires students to consider ethical dilemmas, and physically move to one corner of the room that best represents their stance on the issue, creating a visual representation of the decision-making outcomes across the class. From there, representatives from each location are…

Briya Public Charter School is a nationally recognized, two-generation school that has served immigrant families in Washington, DC, for more than 30 years. At Briya, students contribute to the school through participation in curriculum design and leadership-focused programming. These engagements enhance their learning and develop important skills…