Policy advocacy is a professional competency in the Council of Social Work Education's (CSWE) Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards. Therefore, preparing social work students to engage in political arenas is an integral part of social work education. This study presents an evaluation of the policy advocacy course using a pre/posttest…

Currently, a knowledge gap exists at the intersection of immigration, citizenship, and education. We have little knowledge of how teachers teach about citizenship when they anticipate that some of their students are undocumented. Conceptually, we distinguish between formal and cultural citizenship and draw from immigrant political incorporation…

For social work educators, teaching social policy in the current political climate in the United States may seem daunting and energizing at the same time. Students are often acutely aware of the political and policy-related controversies raging in Washington, D.C. and local governments, and yet their position on these issues may be unexplored or…

Background/Context: Within the United States, wealth disparities are growing and upward social mobility is becoming increasingly difficult to attain. These trends call into question the American Dream ideology that anyone can succeed through hard work. This meritocratic ideal has traditionally been one of the unifying ideologies promoted through…

Because in his Gettysburg Address, President Abraham Lincoln said, "we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain," and "...that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth," it is accurate to report that he spoke the words "perish from the earth" and "died in vain." But if his 1864…

This article explores how teaching about identity in Australia has been framed by the recent historical and political context. It analyses the influential characterisation of Australian identity during John Howard's period in office between 1996 and 2007. The findings of Australian education researchers relating to young people's sense of what it…

This article is devoted to the topic of teaching a geographical component in World History curriculum in American public high schools. Despite the fact that the federal legislation entitled "No Child Left Behind" (2001) declared geography as a "core" academic subject, geography was the only subject dropped from federal funding.…

In this classroom narrative article I discuss some of my experiences as a teacher in an Australian government-funded English language development aid project during the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET). The program formed part of an emergency response to the devastating violence that accompanied the Indonesian…

Students are well served by course simulations that employ active learning styles and student-driven interaction. For debate on political issues, particular public policies are quite effective in stimulating that discussion. We developed an in-class simulation of political debate on the issue of Social Security. We describe the simulation itself,…

Describes how, by understanding the political dimensions of reading, Paulo Freire developed materials that enabled adults to learn to read in 30 to 40 hours; this article is based primarily on Paulo Freire's "Education for Critical Consciousness," Seabury, 1973. (Author/JM)

Questions the relationship between mathematics and gender issues by focusing on Australia. Emphasizes the research, governmental policies, teaching, and attitudes related to this issue in Australia. (Author/ASK)

Consideration is given to making the discussion of issues provided by the American Issues Forum most meaningful for students and applicable to their decision making about issues outside of the classroom. The Bicentennial and the American Issues Forum provide an excellent opportunity to help students develop a better understanding of our society's…

This monograph provides a format for teaching about busing, either to prospective teachers or to students, on all levels of the educational process. A model is developed that can be used by students themselves in the development of methods of improving human relations and studying problems of democracy and American life. The model presented here…

This unit provides six lessons in which students develop a strategy for political action on a local environmental issue. The unit emphasizes the process of solving political problems within the political system and may be adapted to any geographical or social problem. The first lesson introduces a general environmental issue and requires students…

This monograph explores aspects of science and technology in contemporary society and suggests methods for teaching about social policy issues which have resulted from scientific and technological developments. Section one offers an argument for teaching about science and social policy; surveys the sociology, politics, and history of contemporary…