This paper rethinks the fostering task of the teacher in a time when it, paradoxically, has tended to become marginalized and privatized despite its public urgency. Following post-holocaust thinkers such as Hannah Arendt and Zygmunt Bauman, the position explored here is radical in the sense that it takes 'the crisis of traditions' and the erosion…

This article is a response to a qualitative study that examined how the indigenous African notion of "ubuntu" informs how some school teachers in a Black township in South Africa conceptualize Western-oriented narratives of democracy. While the study acknowledges important differences in how ubuntu is understood and defined, the author…

Erickson and Thompson articulate and defend reasonableness as an important civic educational aim for early childhood education. In this response, I argue that further clarity regarding the nature and scope of "reasonableness" as an educational concept or idea is needed. Is such a concept fundamentally political, or does it capture a…

Traits of reasonableness are necessary characteristics of successfully engaged citizens within pluralistic liberal democratic societies. Given the evident unlikelihood of the spontaneous development of these critical characteristics, pedagogical effort ought to be exerted towards ensuring that this goal is realized. In what follows, we argue that…

This research aims to compare the social studies curricula of Thailand and New York State, USA, analyze their similarities and differences, and propose guidelines for improving the Thai social studies curriculum. The study employed a qualitative research methodology, using documentary analysis of the Thai Basic Education Core Curriculum B.E. 2551…

The taking of Black life by state authorities is a long-standing tragic tradition in America. However, in recent years, instances of Black death have gained wider media attention. This is a potentially important teaching moment, especially as it regards moral virtue and racism. In this article, I argue that Blacks have been put through a kind of…

This article explores factors influencing values management and in particular the way in which teachers and principals perceive their role in the inculcation of democratic values and moral principles with a view to managing schools more effectively within a democratic dispensation. In a small scale qualitative study, it was found that educators…

Many scholars, teachers, parents, as well as others, are concerned with the decline of civility in public discourse and public schools. The sharp differences among various ideological groups, exacerbated by media incivility, are contributing factors to rising incivility. This ideological divide currently manifests itself in bitter partisan…

A discussion of the challenge Watergate presents to democratic ideals and the school's role in fostering individual moral growth. (JMB)

Introduces the five essays appearing in Studies in Philosophy and Education (May 2000) that discuss the role of respect in creating democratic citizens and moral persons. These essays are centered on the thematic problem: how are the values of democracy, education, and the moral life linked to each other and how can we better understand what these…

Explains the Kohlberg moral stages in moral development, discusses the aims of moral and civic education, then describes the continuing experimental work at the Harvard Center for Moral Education. (Author/DW)

The performance skills of school principals have an enormous impact on the learning of students in their schools. Two questions principals must ask themselves are as follows: what is meant by a positive impact on student learning and how should this impact be achieved? This book helps principals resolve these questions within a framework of…

Ethical instruction is a difficult task in any society, but doubly so in the U.S., because our culture stresses individual development over commitment to the group. Attention to school bonding, special ethics instruction, California's Community of Caring project, and community service opportunities are powerful strategies to aid moral development.…

The structure and operations of a school based on Kohlberg's concept of just community are described. This approach integrates social studies and English curricula with a program of moral discussions and a governance structure based on a participatory democracy. (Author/DE)

Lawrence Kohlberg, a psychologist, coined the term "Just Community" to describe a community built on trust and resolution, in which each member participates democratically in the development of the rules and regulations that govern their community life (Kohlberg, 1985). In a school, this means that students and teachers alike actively participate…