Within the United States, education has long been valued as a means of fostering the growth and development of each person in order to realize the democratic ideals of freedom, equality, non-discrimination, and respect for the rights of all. In an increasingly globalized world and within the United States itself, this growth and development must…

Teacher educators are supposed to ensure that their preservice candidates and practitioners are equipped with the content knowledge, pedagogical skills, and dispositions that will help to create effective classroom teachers who serve as models of civic engagement for their students. Civic engagement is understood as being the act of making a…

In this article, the author argues for the necessity of civic literacy and responsibility, of educating students for citizenship. He urges educators to consider the visionary thoughts of James Moffett and others on spiritualizing teaching and learning--in particular, the idea of "serving ourselves through serving our communities and redefining…

If students from a totalitarian nation were secretly transported to a Canadian classroom to continue their lessons with new teachers and a new curriculum, would they be able to tell the difference? Both classes might engage students in volunteer activities in the community--picking up litter from a nearby park, or helping out at a busy…

In this article, the author discusses five major priorities that should guide teacher education in preparing teachers for their work in a democratic society. These priorities are of equal importance in preparing teachers to enter schools and do the work necessary to sustain a democratic society. They require purposeful planning and enactment of…

In this article, the author engages in a lively interactive discussion with Paul Woodford's text, "Democracy and Music Education." He questions Woodford's criticism of Praxial Music Education (PME)--particularly his dismissal of PME as a "performance alone" notion. PME, this author asserts, is fundamentally multidimensional, contextually reflexive…

The purpose of this essay is to show a way that college students can be brought to understand that it is in their interest to be good citizens of a good regime. Aristotle's formulations of distributive justice as they appear in his "Nicomachean Ethics" and "Politics" are used in the discussion. (RM)

Discusses the grounds for political obligation, adapting John Searle's argument about 'promising' to the case of voting. Presents a method for citizenship education which specifies a path to political obligation based upon participation. Concludes that participation, specifically voting, leads to political obligation. (GEA)

The essays in this collection, rewritten and expanded especially for this volume, originated as papers that were presented at a 1993 conference on Education for Democracy sponsored by the Mershon Center at The Ohio State University. The contributors from the United States, South Africa, Germany, and Russia, are experts in civic education, problems…

Evaluates efforts to incorporate ethical instruction into schooling through emphasis on citizenship and moral competence. Labels such efforts "moral vocationalism." Suggests that the movement has a weak knowledge base, relies upon behaviorist principles, and is exclusively instrumentalist. Recommends fortifying the approach with…

Our first public policy goal is to ensure our survival as a free nation through the development of enlightened citizens. If social studies teachers are to develop the goals of citizenship education, an articulated K-12 social studies program is necessary. The objectives and themes of such a program are discussed. (RM)

If students are to fulfill their obligations and rights as U.S. citizens they must develop the ability to make careful judgements, based on a reasoned historical perspective and a meaningful conception of the basic democratic values underlying citizenship in our constitutional order. To this end, an agenda of 12 core civic values that are…

Educators respond to David Mathews's article addressing the need for teaching students to be civically competent. (RM)

The conventional way of thinking about politics keeps us from studying the important work that citizens must do to achieve political efficacy. Students learn the procedures of government as if politics were a spectator sport. While everyone learns about the politics of government, there is little discussion about the politics of the public. Unless…

The basic paradox of citizenship education in the United States is that the first steps toward the rational, autonomous, critical-minded citizen required by a democracy are necessarily non-rational and based on an unquestioned deference to authority. The movement from the morality of authority to the morality of principle constitutes the challenge…