The public schoolhouse is one of the few remaining public spaces in which citizens may routinely gather to discuss controversial issues. Furthermore, it is social studies classrooms and teachers, in particular, that bear the moral imperative to ensure such civic discourse takes place. Nevertheless, many social studies teachers refrain from…

Purpose: Following recent scholarship promoting the study of sports-related texts as a vehicle for examining sociopolitical issues, this study aims to identify methods and materials used to facilitate the extended exploration of sociopolitical issues in a secondary sports literature class and to establish how students describe their experiences…

This article provides a response to the collective body of articles in this issue of "Teacher Education Quarterly." It offers a brief discussion of current pressing issues found in the preparation of teacher candidates as they navigate through coursework and field experiences, and the tensions found in their first years of teaching.…

Critics of safe spaces in campus teaching often fail to understand the complexity of instructors' practices in teaching controversial topics. Beginning with recent controversy regarding safe spaces in the higher education classroom, this paper explores strategies for fostering more complex learning when teaching classes on sensitive topics, whilst…

Just before his death in 1970, John Scopes claimed that his famous trial "had no other effect upon my family" than his sister Lela losing her teaching job in Paducah, Kentucky. He was wrong. My interviews with John Scopes's family members and descendants -- most of whom have never talked about their famous relative until now -- reveal…

Evolution remains a controversial issue in the United States, particularly for evangelical Christians, who as a group have been a key player in anti-evolution education legislation. Religious cultural competence can be effective in decreasing undergraduate biology students' perceived conflict between religion and evolution. However, the impact on…

As the midterm election approaches, issues related to K-12 schools have become deeply polarized. Republican and Democratic parents of K12 students have widely different views on what their children should learn at school about gender identity, slavery and other topics, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. Pew Research Center conducted…

This review essay explores the complexities and challenges involved in addressing controversial issues in the K-12 public school classroom, drawing from two recent books: Noddings and Brooks's "Teaching Controversial Issues: The Case for Critical Thinking and Moral Commitment in the Classroom" and Zimmerman and Robertson's "The Case…

This article is a pedagogical case study reflecting on the "Teaching the Levees" curriculum (Crocco, 2007), written in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and in tandem with the Spike Lee film, "When the Levees Broke" (2006). Over 30,000 copies of the curriculum, underwritten by the Rockefeller Foundation, were distributed…

Recently, public higher education institutions have experienced an increase in requests from extreme political figures from both the right and left to speak on campus. College administrators must comply with laws and fulfill their legal responsibilities while addressing concerns about campus safety--including those held by students and faculty.…

The case for socio-scientific inquiry-based learning (SSIBL) based on the EU PARRISE project in schools is presented through three pillars -- citizenship education, socio-scientific issues and inquiry-based science education (IBSE) -- within the overarching context of the EU Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) initiative. Integrating these…

Purpose: This article aims at elaboration of a relevant framework for European identity and citizenship. On this basis, comparative studies like ICSS, Estonian curricula, civic syllabuses and textbooks will be critically reviewed. Methods: The framework relies on former studies on democracy and education. The work also draws on normative materials…

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the phenomenon experienced by faculty members in higher education who teach courses in terrorism studies with curriculum containing controversial and emotive issues in a politically-charged classroom. The study included 12 college faculty members who taught courses in…

In this paper I argue that at this time of ecological crisis, ethics should infuse all teaching and learning, and Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship (ESDGC) should be an overarching planning tool. I make the case for Philosophy for Children (P4C) to be integrated into the whole curriculum rather than be a stand-alone…

Current political and social climates have pushed conversations about equity and inclusion to the forefront. At the same time, lawmakers in more than half of US states are pushing legislation that would limit discussion of these issues in schools. Educators must consider the best ways to continue conversations of equity and inclusion without…