This paper reports on research involving American College of Education students in relation to their impressions of, reactions to, and engagement with democracy. Four themes are explored: the conceptualization of democracy; the democratic educational experience of teachers; the concern about teaching controversial issues; and the understanding of,…

This instruction guide conveys effective strategies for engaging students in small group exercises, brainstorming, discussions, case studies and controversial issues. After emphasizing the importance of the first small group session for setting the tone, the guide advises teachers to appoint groups of two to five students, assigning the most…

This paper reports that the story of peace education in New Zealand has been one of extremes. While there has been some interest in the subject for decades, it was only in the 1980s that there was any serious activity and widespread debate. In 1984, the conservative National government, which had ruled the country for 9 years, was replaced by a…

This National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) board of directors substantive issue session initiated the process of developing a position statement for the educational observance of the Quincentenary of Columbus' landing in the Americas. The meeting consisted of proposal statements by panelists and advocated the development of a united…

This annotated listing of fiction and nonfiction works suitable for use in Senior High English courses was written and developed by teachers, in Alberta, Canada. It contains 83 new titles and 44 titles carried over from the 1983 list. A specific edition of each of the novel and nonfiction titles in the list has been authorized because of such…

The diverse, multicultural population that constitutes today's work force faces ethical dilemmas on the job that bring pressures to protect their own or their company's interests, at the risk of losing their personal integrity. Employers and vocational and career development personnel are recognizing the need for decision-making and…

This article addresses the controversy over including hunting as a part of outdoor education. Historically, figures such as Julian Smith, of the Outdoor Education Project of the 1950's, advocated hunting as a critical element of educating children and youth about care and protection of natural resources. Henry David Thoreau saw hunting experiences…

Inadequate teacher training and the lack of consensus on what constitutes sex education are often cited to explain why few sex education programs are offered in the public schools. A survey of administrative officials at 777 teacher preparation institutions was conducted to examine the number and type of university-level programs designed to…

The author analyzes attitudes and court decisions about the Pledge of Allegiance. He suggests a more rational approach with an awareness that patriotism cannot be forced and that mere recitation cannot achieve allegiance. (Author/JR)

This article argues that teaching politically correct language to English learners provides them with important information and opportunities to be exposed to cultural issues. The author offers a brief review of how political correctness became an issue and how being politically correct influences the use of language. The article then presents…

The creation/evolution controversy can be best thought of as a contest over control of a portion of educational policy. Scientists do not dispute the right of fundamentalist Christians to believe that Genesis is a history and a science textbook. The difficulty arises when fundamentalists seek to bring their sectarian religious faith into biology…

This paper presents a rationale for the compatibility of cooperative learning and invitational education. Invitational education focuses on how teachers can invite students to see themselves as able, valuable, and self-directing in an interactive group situation. Specifically, the rationale demonstrates how cooperatively structured disagreement…

The purpose of this article is to use the vehicle of a controversial issue--abortion--as a means of illustrating the advantages of teaching such issues through a problem-solving method. Discussion ideas and resources are presented. (Author/JR)

Discusses the problem school systems have in selecting textbooks that do not offend special interest groups but still address pertinent, possibly controversial, issues. (JC)

Outlines the structure of the Scottish educational system in general, and the social studies program in particular. Discusses recent and ongoing changes in the social studies designed to decrease rigidity, encourage cooperation across social science departments, and promote student awareness of social problems and contemporary affairs. (GEA)