Purpose: This paper aims to understand the debate about what constitutes good education in the Netherlands. The meaning of the concept of democracy in these public debates is divergent and rather diffuse. If teachers, citizens, advisory councils, and the Dutch government agree that democracy ought to be anchored in future education, we first and…

Using a mixed-methods approach, this paper investigates current views within society about what civic knowledge is important for students leaving secondary education. We combined questionnaire data from a representative national sample with data from a multiple-case study among several focus groups of stakeholders with various roles in society.…

Mexico is the main Latin American country sending students abroad for international education. In 2020, 34,781 Mexican students were enrolled in higher education institutions (HEIs) outside their country of origin. From those, 37% studied in a European country. The National Science and Technology Council (CONACYT) has funded international student…

The views young people have towards democratic values shape their views in later life. However, the values that are fundamental to democracy, such as majority rule and minority rights, are often competing. This study aims to provide insight into the ways adolescents view democratic issues in which democratic values are competing. To do so, three…

A recent report from the Democracy Project found that "confidence in our governing institutions has been weakening over many years, and key pillars of our democracy, including the rule of law and freedom of the press, are under strain." In the recently published book "The People vs. Democracy: Why Our Freedom Is in Danger and How to…

Feeling the urgency of the climate crisis and judging current societal (re)action insufficient, young adults increasingly engage in climate activism. While individual learning is not the objective of climate activism, research has documented that young adults learn "in" climate activism movements. This study traces young adults' learning…

In history education, the deconstruction of narratives is an important skill for students. The skill teaches them to look critically at the offered texts. In this study, we investigated the extent to which students are able to critically analyse the narratives in their history textbooks. To answer this question, we asked 106 students in…

Democracy is not only a system of government, but also an overarching way of living together. It is through the social structures we live in and the resulting social relations, behaviors, and norms emanating from those structures, that we learn how to live together, democratically or otherwise. Adult education can promote the learning of democracy…

In the Netherlands, state and religious schools are equally financed by the government. Parents are free to choose a school that optimally fits their moral values as well as their idea of a good education. As a result, there is a huge variety of schools, which include those orthodox Reformed schools that form part of the so-called Bible Belt…

Citizenship education is an important part of current debates about future education. In contrast, educational philosopher Gert Biesta calls for a shift "from teaching citizenship to learning democracy". This study wants to contribute to this shift. A Delphi-method is applied on a Dutch case study, presenting a way to collect and analyze…

Over the last decades, many European Union countries have invested in strengthening participatory learning in citizenship education policy and practice. This survey study provides insight into how high school teachers in the Netherlands advance critical democratic citizenship and a democratic school culture in the context of mock elections. A…

This article presents and discusses student assignments reflecting on the documentary film If a Tree Falls, written as part of the Business Ethics and Sustainability course at The Hague University of Applied Sciences. This article follows two lines of inquiry. First, it challenges mainstream environmental education, supporting critical pedagogy…

Studies show that adolescents who follow a higher educational track have more positive experiences than those of lower levels with aspects of democracy, such as decision-making or discussions. This study focuses on how adolescents from different educational tracks evaluate the various possibilities to experience democracy in daily life, and…

The concepts of citizenship and citizenship education can have different meanings. We analyse changes in concepts, policy and practice of citizenship and citizenship education. In our theoretical and empirical research we conceptualised three different types of national citizenship: adapted, individualised, and critical-democratic. Our research…

Philosophy for Democracy is a research project which aims to examine whether and how Philosophy with Children contributes to the development of democratic skills and attitudes. Philosophy with Children seeks to develop children's critical thinking, their ability to judge, enhance their dialogical skills and attitudes and to contribute to their…