Teaching controversial issues in schools to prepare children for a sustainable global village

Title
Teaching controversial issues in schools to prepare children for a sustainable global village
Publication Date
2009
Author(s)
Reitano, Paul
Kivunja, Charles
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3520-0745
Email: ckivunja@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:ckivunja
Porter, Kim
Type of document
Conference Publication
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE)
Place of publication
Melbourne, Australia
UNE publication id
une:5531
Abstract
Studies have shown that positive citizenship outcomes are associated with giving students opportunities to explore controversial issues, in an open and supportive classroom environment. Social Science taught without teaching controversial issues will have little or no effect on students' orientation towards citizenship, social justice and community participation. The study from which this paper is drawn uses unstructured interviews as well as audio and video stimulated recall to elicit participants' understanding of controversial issues, the approaches they use to teach controversial issues in the classroom and the constraints involved. Using Leximancer software to analyse the qualitative interview data, the study concludes that although teachers' understanding of controversial issues is by no means unanimous, there is nevertheless a deep understanding that teaching controversial issues to children makes a positive difference in helping them develop into better Australian and global citizens for the 21st Century.
Link
Citation
AARE Conference Papers, v.2008
ISSN
1324-9339
1324-9320

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