Improving Students’ Capacities for Civic Reasoning and Problem-Solving

• In Event: Reinvigorating the Civic Purpose of Schooling: Reframing Outcomes and Expanding Democratic Education Across K–12 Learning

Abstract

Objectives and Frameworks
To realize the renewed civic mission of schooling centered on civic and democratic outcomes presented earlier in the symposium, this presentation will provide an overview of research advances in learning theory and pedagogy to support the robust learning of civic reasoning and discourse skills. This presentation will capture recommendations from the NAEd’s report Educating for Civic Reasoning and Discourse (2021), as well as recently released accompanying practitioner-oriented reports (2023/2024) that address civic learning across subject matters and across grade bands. Unique to the NAEd report and the practitioner reports is the attention to the cognitive, social, emotional, ethical, and developmental demands of civic learning that is based on the research evidence from SoLD. These reports make the case that even young children have the capacity to engage in forms of civic learning, and that developing the full range of knowledge, skills, and dispositions for civic engagement and social problem solving should be taught across subject matters. Based on these reports, the recommendations will address improving students’ capacities for civic reasoning and problem-solving and will inform both teachers as well as schools administrators and districts to enhance their civic education capacity. Additionally, in response to current attacks on the teaching of history and student identity, the presentation will provide examples and recommendations on how to engage students in civic learning in developmentally appropriate way.

Modes of Inquiry
This presentation will draw latest insights from SoLD and discipline-based education research as they inform collaborations with practitioner groups to begin the work of developing open-access educator materials in five subject disciplines, including history/social studies, literacy, digital literacy, mathematics, and science. This initiative has engaged over 60 scholars in the deliberation, development, writing, and dissemination of pedagogically sound examples of civic learning in different disciplines across grade bands.

Scholarly Significance
Enhancing the civic education capacity of K-12 schools is a complex endeavor. The body of work covered in this continuing initiative as well as related reports covered earlier in this symposium session synthesized latest advances from Sold and the conditions that need to be in place to engage students in complex problem space and culturally affirming learning across their developmental stages.

Authors

• Na'ilah Suad Nasir, Spencer Foundation

• Alan H. Schoenfeld, University of California - Berkeley

• Dian Dong, National Academy of Education