Teaching for Democratic Action

Current school reform policies that emphasize standardized tests and a narrow curriculum leave students without skills they need to participate effectively in democratic societies. This article exposes these reforms as inadequate and draws on research regarding school-based programs that seek to teach good citizenship to detail three visions of citizenship commonly found in school programs: personally responsible, participatory, and social justice-oriented. Personally responsible citizenship is the most commonly pursued but has little to do with democratic thought and action. The article concludes with three recommendations for practice.

当前以标准化考试与窄化课程为核心导向的学校改革政策，致使学生缺失有效参与民主社会必备的核心技能。本文揭露此类改革的局限性，并依托旨在培育良好公民素养的校本项目相关研究，详细阐释了学校教育中常见的三类公民素养范式：个人责任型、参与型与社会正义导向型。其中，个人责任型公民素养是当前最受推崇的范式，但却与民主思想及民主行动鲜有关联。本文最后提出三项实践层面的优化建议。