Conceptual and Pedagogical Challenges of Teaching Civic Reasoning Across the Curriculum

• In Event: How Can the Science of Human Learning and Development Inform Preparing Students to Engage in Civic Reasoning?

Abstract

This paper takes up the RISE principles around human learning and development in tandem with the dispositions entailed in civic reasoning in terms of what these mean for teaching in the content areas: literacy including literature, mathematics, science, and history/social studies. The paper identifies underlying pedagogical practices across content areas, the requisite conceptual foundations of knowledge in each content area, and the implications for what teachers need to know and be able to do (Lee, Nasir & Smirnoff, 2020; Mirra, 2018; Warren et al, 2020). The paper documents empirical studies of content focused teaching that addresses this breadth of goals (Gutierrez, Jurow & Vakil,2020). This review includes an examination of the limitations of current practices in each content area (existing standards, assessments used for accountability and commercial curricula) to address how teaching across the content areas can contribute to civic good (Barber, Clark & Torney-Purta, 2020; Conklin, 2020; Rubin, Abu El-Haj & Bellino, 2020).

Author

• Carol D. Lee, Northwestern University