The Grand Challenges for Social Work were introduced by the American Academy for Social Work & Social Welfare in 2016, which are social problems that are interrelated and "exceedingly complex". We discuss the relevance of complexity theory, operationalized by complex adaptive systems (CAS), to the Grand Challenges. CAS moves beyond…

Mulla Sadra's philosophy has an ontological approach. However, his explicit texts or philosophical foundations in social issues such as education and especially the curriculum and its relationship with learning methods can be extracted. Mulla Sadra's different approach to learning has distinguished his educational system from other educational…

This paper has two main purposes. The first, more informational, is to introduce, re-introduce, the German-Nordic concept of "Bildung" to Canadian environmental education. This includes a brief attempt to define, a short overview of its history which stretches back to the Eighteenth century at least, and then an exploration of why and…

This article shares a case study of an experiential learning framework designed specifically for supporting learning in courses focused on human and environmental justice. We argue that our educational practices must substantially change to be accountable to each other as we address social issues and explore societal solutions. Findings from…

Sociology has been slow in responding to the challenge of climate change. In this conversation, we advocate adding more climate change content to Introduction to Sociology courses. To support our arguments, we present data from a content analysis of the top 11 best-selling introductory textbooks in the United States, demonstrating that…

Fear for the future of democracy in the 1930s and 1940s led university educators to redefine the purpose of general education as preparation for democratic citizenship. This mobilized social scientists to engage in curricular reform and experiment with progressive pedagogical practices in new general education courses. These courses have been…

Located in the suburbs of a large midwestern city, Trail Middle School serves a predominantly middle-class population. The data the authors feature in this article include group discussions and interviews with students, as well as recordings of in-class lessons, student work, and fieldnotes. The authors focus on the theme of gender as it emerged…

Given its propensity to foster social awareness, literature can function as a tool for developing critical citizenship, particularly in schools. This article critically analyzes John Kani's "Nothing but the Truth", a text prescribed in South African high schools, in terms of whether it presents any issues that could be drawn upon to…

In this article, the authors consider how the scholarship of a social studies icon, Harold O. Rugg, can influence the work of social studies scholars and teachers today. For the past year, the authors have studied Rugg's work, reading his writings and examining his textbook series. Their inquiries have unsettled their thinking, prompting them to…

Missing in curriculum revision/school restructuring links is a curriculum paradigm that incorporates reflective intelligence while promoting social and utilitarian responsibilities. The "social-reconstructive wedge" model described in this article addresses this paradoxical issue by treating the school system as a social system where constituents…

Since genetics is about biological development and diversity, it is related to contentious social issues (like racism) and already permeates the K-12 curriculum. Staff who educated themselves about brain research can grasp genetics concepts and decide what knowledge is worth imparting to students. Print and web resources are listed. (MLH)

Examines the recent growth of interest in conflict studies as a dimension of peace education and explores various ways of developing workable approaches to conflict studies. (DB)

Presents an overview of school inclusion programs for students with disabilities and describes specific strategies for designing and implementing successful programs which prepare students for the real world. Outlines strategies involving organizational change, curriculum and instruction modification, and school culture transformation. (GR)

Addresses concerns of African Americans about the public school art-education curriculum. A survey of general currents in art education is followed by discussion of specifically African American art education. It can be argued that the most successful way to inculcate respect for other cultures is to teach their art. (SLD)

The current debate about education seems centered in concerns about scores on local, state, and national tests as preludes to entering the workforce fully prepared. In this exploration, stories about leadership, control of learning, civic life, and literacy are used to help refocus the educational debate. Our concerns should be how to create…