Fifteen articles (and four synthesis chapters) compare and contrast objectives, practices, and problems of social/political education in the United States, Great Britain, and West Germany. Social/political education is interpreted to include that area of pre-university teaching referred to in the United States most often as social studies or…

This paper presents six generalizations based on political education research and discusses their implications for teaching citizenship in the public schools. In drawing the implications, it was assumed that citizenship education is designed to promote higher political knowledge, interest, trust, tolerance of dissent, and intellectual and…

In recent years, political and social studies have been under revision in the individual states of the Federal Republic of Germany. Many states have issued framework guidelines for the various school branches and levels to provide teachers with orientation aids. Progressive educators see the goal of political and social studies as being more than…

The curriculum project undertaken by the Nanaimo District teachers proposed to develop a study of the socio-political processes in a Canadian urban government, using their own city as a model (ED 055 013). This progress report stresses that the nature of the development process has been based on 1) need, 2) structure, 3) content, 4) materials…

Discusses socio-civic education as it occurs in schools and nonschool social organizations. Advocates a cooperation between these institutions to promote civic attitudes and behaviors needed by young citizens in today's society. Lists several interrelated factors affecting and methods for improving citizenship education. (AEM)

Argues the importance of teaching students about the common culture of our diverse democracy. States that this common culture is composed of the democratic, work, and Judeo-Christian ethics. Describes how these ethics function to help preserve and transmit our common culture. (JDH)

Describes ways in which schools can help immigrant children overcome refugee trauma, differences in language, culture, religion, and problems arising because of social stratification and prejudice in American society. Reviews the benefits derived by all students from successful educational practices. (JDH)

Presents selected results from an April, 1984 public opinion survey conducted by the U. S. Committee for Refugees which revealed a lack of knowledge and negative attitudes among Americans toward refugees. Suggests classroom activities to illustrate the refugee dilemma. (JDH)

This discussion of human-rights education suggests that educational goals should include the acceptance of the idea of equal opportunity and inalienable human rights. Course content should instill concern with experiences drawn more from students' immediate social experience than from textbooks. More advanced students need courses in global…

Over 300 high school students responded to questionnaires in their sophomore and senior years which showed that the extent to which students perceived open social studies classroom climates over this period was related to increases in political trust, integration, and interest but to a decrease in sense of political confidence. (Author/GDC)

Multicultural education has at least two faces--an academic one and an ideological one. Encouraging the balkanization of U.S. culture threatens to undermine the academic integrity of the social studies curriculum. Offers suggestions to make sure that schools are offering an academically rigorous multicultural curriculum, not political…

Researchers of performance assessment in social studies have contrasted authentic assessment, which is characterized by contextualized, complex intellectual challenges, with multiple choice tests of achievement, which are characterized as fragmented and static. In calling for the need for authentic assessment, this paper outlines a plan for the…

The basic premise of the paper is that the Constitution should be the main theme of courses in United States history at grade 8. Students should study a unit on the Constitution, as is commonly done at that level. In addition, other units taught throughout the school year should emphasize constitutional principles, values, and issues. Three…

This paper examines the effects of schooling on political socialization and presents a theoretical perspective on the learning of civic norms which will provide insight into both the limits of schools' current efforts at instilling civic norms and the potentialities of new approaches. Norms are defined as personally binding conceptions of right…

Effects of participation by 904 elementary and secondary school social studies students in a political education project are discussed. Objectives of the project, entitled Improving Citizenship Education (ICE), are to assess student political knowledge (factual information, generalizations, principles, thinking and participatory skills), before…