Preservice student teachers engaged in a collaborative research initiative to examine the memory of the 1954 "Brown v. Topeka Board of Education" decision that culminated in a public performance. Ethnographic data were translated into performance texts through students' performances that confronted issues of privilege, race, and institutional…

This policy brief looks ahead for 2008 and presents the top 10 state issues most likely to be at the forefront of discussion and action that will affect public higher education across the 50 states, in the view of the state policy analysis and research staff at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU). The focus is on…

Geography as a school subject is highly infused with values and controversial issues. Much attention has been paid to the role of the (geography) teacher in dealing with values education, but the continued lack of pupil-focused empirical work hampers conceptual, practical and policy development. Drawing on evidence from pupil-focused research, it…

The so-called Culture Wars have made the issue of religious tolerance in schools more confusing than ever. Where once free speech trumped nearly every concern in these wars in the public schools, there is now great concern about whether messages put out are politically correct. The preoccupation teachers now have with avoiding speech or themes…

Roswell has long been synonymous with aliens and UFOs, and people have been arguing over what happened that night in 1947 for many years. It is a topic left out of most textbooks and neglected in many social studies classrooms. However, Roswell has found a permanent place in American culture, and teaching about Roswell can be valuable to social…

Efforts to include democratic ideals in public education are not new. However, current leadership efforts to foster these ideals within a PK-12 curriculum are often fruitless, partly because of a lack of common definition or perceived benefit. What exactly is meant when we suggest that educational leaders advocate teaching about democracy in our…

This book provides an original perspective on a range of controversial issues in educational and social research through case studies of multi-disciplinary and mixed-method research involving children, teachers, schools and communities in Europe and the developing world. These case studies from researchers "across continents" and…

This study explores some major challenges involved in teaching about controversial groups in U.S. public schools, discussing as an example education about Muslims since September 11, 2001 (9/11), and the need for students to develop accurate and balanced perceptions of others in a democratic society. In the first chapter, the two prominent…

Describes the establishment and progress of courses in peace studies, a controversial topic that falls well within the tradition of adult education. (JOW)

In Harper v. Poway Community Unified School District, the Ninth Circuit Court ruled that a student could not wear a T-shirt to school bearing a statement that homosexual behavior is shameful. The court did not use the usual rationale, that such speech could disrupt school activities, but instead relied on the notion that such statements could…

We used 2 debates over the course of a semester to encourage upper level psychology students to engage in discussion about controversial issues. The debates considered issues in Affirmative Action and sexual diversity. Students completed a survey assessing their experiences both individually and as a team member. Students found it easier to…

The teaching of evolution in US public schools continues to generate controversy. One argument for including creationism in science classrooms is based on the goal of facilitating student autonomy. Autonomy requires that students be exposed to significant alternatives, it is argued, and religious creation stories offer a significant alternative to…

Prior to the 1960s, college and university faculty were treated as at-will employees, despite the establishment of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) in 1915 and the circulation after 1940 of its statement on academic freedom. Through the McCarthy period of the 1950s, faculty were not free either on or off campus to speak to…

How did life evolve on Earth? The answer to this question can help us understand our past and prepare for our future. Although evolution provides credible and reliable answers, polls show that many people turn away from science, seeking other explanations with which they are more comfortable. In the book "Science, Evolution, and…

What should be the role of our institutions of higher education? To promote good moral character? To bring an end to racism, sexism, economic oppression, and other social ills? To foster diversity and democracy and produce responsible citizens? In "Save the World On Your Own Time", Stanley Fish argues that, however laudable these goals might be,…