Teaching controversial issues: The views of young people on the role of schools in teaching global issues in England

• In Event: Practice, Ethics and Action: Situated Research Inquiries

Proposal

Global issues ranging from the Covid 19 pandemic, Climate Change, and international conflicts are major topics of discussions across the world. Associated with these global issues are disagreements that sometimes emerge in connection to the causes, nature, extent, and potential resolutions of these issues. For example, the science on Climate Change and the Covid-19 pandemic have been key source of public debate and dispute, often generating denial and opposition from certain segments of society, especially among climate deniers and anti-vaxxers (Latkin et al., 2022). In particular, advances in digital technology and the proliferation of social media have intensified the spread of misinformation and disinformation associated with global issues, coupled with the heightened mistrust of traditional media outlets (Aïmeur et al., 2023; Park et al.,2020; Park et al, 2022; Shu et al., 2020; Thorbjørnsrud & Figenschou, 2022).
Given the role of schools in the political socialisation of young people and the increasing uncertainties around truth in the public domain linked to the phenomenon of ‘fake news’ as well as controversies on issues of global significance, there is the question of whether schools should teach controversial issues, to what extent and by what methods and approaches. These questions have been explored from different angles by various curriculum theorists and developers. Some studies have investigated the conceptualisation of the teaching of controversial issues (Franck, 2023; Oulton et al., 2004), with others addressing teacher education on the teaching of controversial issues in different contexts (Chikoko et al., 2018; Nganga et al., 2020). Extant studies have also assessed the views of teachers on the topic (Cassar, 2021; Ozturk & Kus, 2019), as well as examining classroom and teaching dynamics in teaching controversial issues (Al Badri, 2015; Sætra, 2021). Research has also been conducted on the teaching of controversial issues within specific subject areas (Avery et al., 2013; Flensner, 2020a;2020b; Macalalag et al., 2020; Oulton et al., 2004; Von der Lippe, 2021).
Beyond research, national governments as well as international and multilateral organisations have addressed the question of the teaching of controversial issues in schools, albeit from a policy and practice perspective. In the policy domain for example, the UK government in 2022 developed a guidance document on political impartiality in schools; a document that sets out the legal requirements relating to political impartiality in schools. The guidance is aimed at helping schools understand the legal implications of teaching and extra-curricular activities related to political topics (Department of Education, 2022). In the field of practice, the Council of Europe has addressed the training of teachers to equip them teach controversial issues, with a training pack and a guidebook for teachers on the subject (Council of Europe, 2015; Kerr & Huddleston, 2021). Additionally, Oxfam has developed its version of a guidebook on the teaching of controversial issues in which it outlines a global citizenship approach to the teaching of the topic (Oxfam, 2018).
Whiles studies and the guidance offered by international and multilateral organisations are significant in identifying appropriate approaches and methodologies for teaching controversial issues, these predominantly reflect a top-down perspective to addressing the subject, with few or no studies looking into the experiences and voice of students on the topic. This notwithstanding the wide recognition that promoting student voice in teaching and learning practice fosters student agency for the democratisation of education and improving learning outcomes (Cook-Sather, 2020; Vaughn, 2020).
The proposed paper addresses this gap by discussing findings from qualitative focus group discussions held with students in England, as part of a European Research Council funded research project. 20 group discussions were held across 15 schools in England. The specific research questions the study addressed are:
1. What are the perceptions of students on curriculum provisions on the teaching of global issues in schools?
2. How do students perceive the teaching of controversial issues within the school curriculum?
3. What pedagogical and engagement approaches do students suggest for the teaching of controversial issues in schools?
Preliminary analysis of the data shows young people attach significance to the teaching and learning of global issues through the school curriculum, as they see this as instrumental in their education on happenings around the world. Students also felt discussions of controversial issues should be encouraged, but at the same time acknowledged the difficulties in teaching such topics. There was also the indication from students that, the formal school curriculum does not cover enough on global issues, except in few Elective subject areas such as Politics and Economics taken by few students. Additionally, there was the recognition among students that what they learn pertaining to global issues predominantly focus on Western and developed countries, and less so about the developing world. Lastly, there was a sense in which students felt the teaching of global and controversial issues within the school curriculum provides opportunities to counteract misinformation on social media.

Author

• Simon Eten, University College London UCL