Democracy should enable citizens to play an informed role in determining how power is exercised for their common wellbeing, but this only works if people have the understanding, skills and confidence to engage effectively in public affairs. Otherwise, any voting system can be subverted to serve the interests of propagandists and demagogues. This book brings together leading experts on learning for democracy to explore why and how the gap in civic competence should be bridged. Drawing on research findings and case examples from the UK, the US and elsewhere, it will set out why change is necessary, what could be taught differently to ensure effective political engagement, and how a lasting impact in improving citizens' learning for democratic participation can be made.

What is character education? Why has it risen up the political agenda in the UK in recent years? And what does it mean in pedagogical practice? This book addresses these questions, challenging the individualistic and moralistic ideas underlying the clamour amongst politicians, educators and authors to promote 'grit', 'resilience' and 'character' in schools. Closely examining a range of teaching resources, the book shows that the development of character is wrongly presented as the solution to a wide variety of social problems, with individual citizens expected to accommodate themselves to the realities of the contemporary economic context, rather than enhancing their capacities to engage in civic and political activities to bring about changes they wish to see. The book argues that there is a tried and tested alternative to character education, which is far more likely to strengthen British democracy, namely, citizenship education.

Effective medium-term planning is the 'holy grail' of planning. Once teachers are able to conceptualise learning over a longer period of time, they are empowered to achieve outstanding learning as part of their everyday teaching. This book explains why medium term plans are important and how to go about constructing them. Key coverage includes: Practical guidance to support teachers to build their own effective medium-term plans Examples of planning in action, exploring key principles that can be applied to your own practice Theoretical and practical justifications for the importance of medium-term planning Exploration of the links between raising attainment and effective medium-term planning This is essential reading for initial teacher education students on university-based and school-based courses preparing to teach in primary and secondary education, and early career teachers seeking to continue their professional learning.

This open access book explores the enactment, impact and implications of the Prevent Duty across a range of educational contexts. In July 2015 the UK became the first country to place a specific legal requirement on those working in education to contribute to efforts to 'prevent people from being drawn into terrorism'. Drawing on extensive research with staff, children and young people, the editors and contributors provide new insight into how this high-profile - and highly contentious - policy has shaped educational practice in Britain today. It will be a valuable resource for researchers, policymakers and others interested in the design, implementation and on-the-ground effects of Prevent or similar programmes internationally that place education at the heart of efforts to prevent or counter violent extremism.

With PISA tables, accountability, and performance management pulling educators in one direction, and the understanding that education is a social process embedded in cultural contexts, tailored to meet the needs and challenges of individuals and communities in another, it is easy to end up in seeing teachers as positioned as opponents to the 'system'. Jerome and Starkey argue that the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC, 1989) can provide a pragmatic starting point for educators to challenge some of these unsettling trends in a way which does not set up unnecessary opposition with policy-makers. They review the evidence from international evaluations, surveys and case studies about practice in human rights and child right education before exploring the key principles of transformative and experiential education to offer a robust theoretical framework that can guide the development of child rights education. They also draw out practical implications and outline a series of teaching and learning approaches that are values informed, aligned with children's rights and focused on quality learning.

In this book, leading art experts, art historians, and critics review the life, career, and artistic development of New York based Chinese artist Zhang Hongtu. A pioneer in contemporary Chinese art, Zhang created the first example of "China Pop" art, and his oeuvre is as diverse, intellectually complex, and engaging as it is entertaining. From painting and sculpture to computer generated works and multimedia projects, Zhang's art is equally rich in terms of China's history and its current events, containing profound reflections on China's oldest cultural habits and contemporary preoccupations. He provides a model of cross-cultural interaction designed to make Asian and Western audiences look more closely at each other and at themselves to recognize the beliefs they hold and the unexamined values they adhere to. From his early work in China during the Cultural Revolution to his decades as an artist in New York, Zhang reflects the complex attitudes of a scholar-artist toward modernity, as well as toward Asian and Western societies and himself. Placing Zhang in the context of his cultural milieu both in China and in the Chinese immigrant artist community in America, this volume's contributors examine his adaptations of classic art to reflect a contemporary sensibility, his relation to Cubism and Social Realism, his collaboration with the celebrated fashion designer Vivienne Tam, and his visual critique of China's current environmental crisis. Zhang's work will be on display at the Queens Museum in New York City from October 17, 2015 to March 6, 2016. Contributors: Julia F. Andrews, Alexandra Chang, Tom Finkelpearl, Michael Fitzgerald, Wu Hung, Luchia Meihua Lee, Morgan Perkins, Kui Yi Shen, Jerome Silbergeld, Eugenie Tsai, Thuy Linh Nguyen Tu, Lilly Wei Co-published by the Queens Museum and Duke University Press.

With PISA tables, accountability, and performance management pulling educators in one direction, and the understanding that education is a social process embedded in cultural contexts, tailored to meet the needs and challenges of individuals and communities in another, it is easy to end up in seeing teachers as positioned as opponents to the 'system'. Jerome and Starkey argue that the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC, 1989) can provide a pragmatic starting point for educators to challenge some of these unsettling trends in a way which does not set up unnecessary opposition with policy-makers. They review the evidence from international evaluations, surveys and case studies about practice in human rights and child right education before exploring the key principles of transformative and experiential education to offer a robust theoretical framework that can guide the development of child rights education. They also draw out practical implications and outline a series of teaching and learning approaches that are values informed, aligned with children's rights and focused on quality learning.

Effective medium-term planning is the 'holy grail' of planning. Once teachers are able to conceptualise learning over a longer period of time, they are empowered to achieve outstanding learning as part of their everyday teaching. This book explains why medium term plans are important and how to go about constructing them. Key coverage includes: Practical guidance to support teachers to build their own effective medium-term plans Examples of planning in action, exploring key principles that can be applied to your own practice Theoretical and practical justifications for the importance of medium-term planning Exploration of the links between raising attainment and effective medium-term planning This is essential reading for initial teacher education students on university-based and school-based courses preparing to teach in primary and secondary education, and early career teachers seeking to continue their professional learning.

How do we prepare young people to understand the complex problems confronting our society and their place as citizens in shaping solutions? Until 1997, the contribution of schools to these challenges was ad hoc and uncoordinated, but with the introduction of citizenship education into the National Curriculum in England a new political project began. Between 2002 and 2012, England has become a leading player in the debate about how to induct young people into democracy. Jerome explores the connections between the values promoted by the government and the forms of citizenship promoted through the National Curriculum and considers: - what did the politicians want the policy to achieve? - what kinds of citizens were teachers trying to create? - what kind of citizens do the young people feel that they have become? To answer these questions this book considers a range of evidence from large scale national and international research projects to single school case studies, conducted with student co-researchers. The study illustrates the complexity of policy making and reveals the gap between curriculum policy and implementation.

How do we prepare young people to understand the complex problems confronting our society and their place as citizens in shaping solutions? Until 1997, the contribution of schools to these challenges was ad hoc and uncoordinated, but with the introduction of citizenship education into the National Curriculum in England a new political project began. Between 2002 and 2012, England has become a leading player in the debate about how to induct young people into democracy. Jerome explores the connections between the values promoted by the government and the forms of citizenship promoted through the National Curriculum and considers: What did the politicians want the policy to achieve? What kinds of citizens were teachers trying to create? What kind of citizens do the young people feel that they have become? To answer these questions this book considers a range of evidence from large scale national and international research projects to single school case studies, conducted with student co-researchers. The study illustrates the complexity of policy making and reveals the gap between curriculum policy and implementation.