High school teachers' attitudes and reported behaviors towards controversial issues

Gindi, Shahar; Erlich, Rakefet Ron

doi:10.1016/j.tate.2017.11.006

Cited by 41 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Students and teachers report that discussions of controversial and contentious topics, including political issues, are rare and that dynamic classroom discussions about such issues are hindered by students’ perception that their ideas might be ridiculed by peers (Hess, ). Similarly, teachers who lack efficacy regarding their ability to manage classroom discussion of controversial issues may be less likely to promote such conversations in their classrooms (Gindi & Erlich, ).…”

Section: Schoolsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Teachers who believe that discussions of controversial issues are important and who expect that such dialogues will be supported by other stakeholders (e.g., school administrators, students’ parents) are more likely to incorporate discussions of controversial issues in their classes (Gindi & Erlich, ; Hess, ). For example, a small‐sample qualitative study of U.S. teachers who frequently engage in discussions of controversial public issues with their students found that those teachers who most often and successfully facilitated such conversations worked in schools whose administrations supported and shared teachers’ mission for incorporating these discussions into the curriculum (Hess, ).…”

Section: Schoolsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Toward a Developmental Science of Politics

Patterson

Bigler

Pahlke

et al. 2019

Monographs Society Res Child

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In this monograph, we argue for the establishment of a developmental science of politics that describes, explains, and predicts the formation and change of individuals’ political knowledge, attitudes, and behavior beginning in childhood and continuing across the life course. Reflecting our goal of contributing both theoretical conceptualizations and empirical data, we have organized the monograph into two broad sections. In the first section, we outline theoretical contributions that the study of politics may make to developmental science and provide practical reasons that empirical research in the domain of politics is important (e.g., for identifying ways to improve civics education and for encouraging higher voting rates among young adults). We also review major historical approaches to the study of political development and provide an integrative theoretical framework to ground future work. Drawing on Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems model as an organizing scheme and emphasizing social justice issues, we describe how factors rooted in cultural contexts, families, and children themselves are likely to shape political development. In the second section of the monograph, we argue for the importance and utility of studying major political events, such as presidential elections, and introduce the major themes, rationales, and hypotheses for a study of U.S. children's views of the 2016 U.S. presidential election. In addition, we apply a social‐justice lens to political thought and participation, addressing the role of gender/sex and race/ethnicity in children's political development broadly, and in their knowledge and views of the 2016 U.S. presidential election specifically. In interviews conducted within the month before and after the election, we examined two overarching categories of children's political attitudes: (a) knowledge, preferences, and expectations about the 2016 election, and (b) knowledge and attitudes concerning gender/sex and politics, particularly relevant for the 2016 election given Hillary Clinton's role as the first female major‐party candidate for the presidency. Participants were 187 children (101 girls) between 5 and 11 years of age (M = 8.42 years, SD = 1.45 years). They were recruited from schools and youth organizations in five counties in four U.S. states (Kansas, Kentucky, Texas, and Washington) with varying voting patterns (e.g., Trump voters ranged from 27% to 71% of county voters). The sample was not a nationally representative one, but was racially diverse (35 African American, 50 Latinx, 81 White, and 21 multiracial, Asian American, Middle Eastern, or Native American children). In addition to several child characteristics (e.g., age, social dominance orientation [SDO]), we assessed several family and community characteristics (e.g., child‐reported parental interest in the election and government‐reported county‐level voting patterns, respectively) hypothesized to predict outcome variables. Although our findings are shaped by the nature of our sample (e.g., our partici...

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Section: Schoolsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Schoolsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Toward a Developmental Science of Politics

Patterson

Bigler

Pahlke

et al. 2019

Monographs Society Res Child

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“…Furthermore, he found an absence of debate on the topic of the Israeli-Arab conflict and its implications to Arab-Israeli citizens. The reluctance to engage in controversial discussions has been found to be greater among Arab-Israeli teachers (Gindi and Erlich-Ron, 2018;Jabareen and Agbaria, 2014;Watad-Huri, 2008). Watad-Huri (2008) found a general tendency in Arab schools to avoid discussing the Arab-Israeli conflict with students and that Arab teachers avoided expressing their opinions on the matter.…”

Section: Handling Controversial Issues In the Classroommentioning

confidence: 99%

Are civics teachers different from teachers of other disciplines in their handling of controversial issues?

Erlich

Gindi

2018

Education, Citizenship and Social

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Conducting discussions on controversial political issues is an important vehicle to promote students’ democratic values and critical thinking in schools. This schoolwide task cuts across all disciplines and different subject matter. Israeli civics and social studies teachers are often required to touch upon such issues and manage the situations that follow. This study examined whether civics and social studies teachers are different from teachers of other disciplines in their attitudes toward controversial political issues and in their reported behaviors. Civics and social studies teachers scored higher in all the variables related to discussions of controversial political issue and reported more relevant behaviors. In examining the variables that predict teachers’ self-efficacy to conduct controversial political issue discussions, variables that related to professional identity were the strongest predictors alongside pluralistic attitudes. We concluded that teacher training should emphasize the importance of discussions of controversial political issue and develop teachers’ ability to conduct such discussions as part of their professional role.

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“…Where teachers do attempt to explore the roots of intergroup division and political conflict literature suggests that they often struggle with self-positioning in regard to the issues under discussion leading some to either present themselves as neutral or to offer onesided perspectives (Kelly 1986). Although teacher self-disclosure is recognised as a critical component of teaching controversial issues as it creates empathy with pupils and affords opportunities for teachers to model the sharing of politically controversial perspectives (Kelly 1986;Barton and McCully 2005) there are concerns that in presenting their own views teachers will re-shape the views of pupils and risk their indoctrination (Gindi and Erlich 2018).…”

Section: How Do Teachers Teach Controversial Issues?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Teaching about the past in Northern Ireland: avoidance, neutrality, and criticality

Donnelly

McAuley

Blaylock

et al. 2020

Irish Educational Studies

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Her research focuses on intergroup relations, intergroup conflict and social change in divided societies and is closely associated with social identity and contact theory. Clare McAuley is a Lecturer in the School of Education, Ulster University Coleraine. Her research interests include the role of education in promoting social cohesion; teaching History in contested societies; Citizenship education and teaching controversial and sensitive issues.

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High school teachers' attitudes and reported behaviors towards controversial issues

Cited by 41 publications

References 18 publications

Toward a Developmental Science of Politics

Toward a Developmental Science of Politics

Are civics teachers different from teachers of other disciplines in their handling of controversial issues?

Teaching about the past in Northern Ireland: avoidance, neutrality, and criticality

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