In this essay Lauren Bialystok argues that the standard liberal defense of parental opt-outs is inconsistent in the case of comprehensive sex education. Using the recent controversy over a new sex education curriculum in Ontario, Canada, as a case study, Bialystok examines the aims and effects of sex education and the self-described conscience of…

Purpose: The article intends to analyse the manner in which banished soldiers are presented in the new history curriculum at schools in Poland as an example of the politics of memory. Design/methodology/approach: The analysis is a case study of the phenomenon of banished soldiers in the Polish public discourse. It includes the following issues:…

The purpose of this phenomenological multi-case study was to explore with four secondary social studies teachers their experiences teaching controversial issues. Through a better understanding of the motivation of these teachers, the successes and challenges they experienced, and the strategies they utilized, more informed decisions about teaching…

Over the past two decades, sexual citizenship has emerged as a new form of citizenship coupled with increased interest in the challenges to citizenship and social justice faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people and, in particular, by sexual minority youth within education systems. In South Africa, the rights of…

Teaching social studies from a global perspective has been resisted by many since its inception (Kirkwood, 2009). Critics have labeled the theory anti-American and unpatriotic (Schlafly, 1986; Burack, 2001). Others are concerned with its shifting perspectives and apparent lack of core facts (Finn, 1988). Over time, some critics have changed their…

A sex education program in Kentucky's Jefferson County schools, although mandated by the state, was challenged by a small group of parents and virtually disappeared. Later, helped by newspaper articles and recognized organizations, the program is gradually being reinstated. (MLF)

This paper reports on a study of the complex ways a planned curriculum can get transformed in practice. The analysis also illustrates how the implemented curriculum can have moral and political significance, in ways that critics of the planned curriculum might not foresee. "Participant example," an actual or hypothetical event in which…

A survey of 319 residents, recent graduates, and faculty of McGill University medical school investigated which ethical issues were viewed as important to include in the curriculum, frequency of occurrence, difficulty of management, and helpfulness of discussion. Gender differences were also studied. Results indicate little consensus on ethics…

As part of a federal grant to develop an across-the-curriculum ethics program, ethics instruction was integrated into English classes at Colorado's Community College of Aurora (CCA). In the English classes, students were first asked to read case studies from CCA's ethics handbook detailing specific ethical problems. In subsequent classes, students…

By focusing on controversial social/political issues in high school American history and social studies courses, classroom teachers can help students develop critical thinking skills. Contemporary issues of a controversial nature are particularly good topics for high school because students are generally familiar with the issues through exposure…

The "International Society for the Social Studies Annual Conference Proceedings" is a peer-reviewed professional publication published once a year following the annual conference. It contains the following papers: (1) Teacher Perceptions of Authentic Pedagogy: A Case Study of Professional Development in an African American High School's…