Teaching Respectful Disagreement: Four Strategies for Schools
The increasing political polarization in the United States of America (USA) is also reflected in K-12 schools. Political scientists and historians emphasize that schools play a critical role in reducing this polarization and fostering a healthy democracy. However, many teachers have altered their lesson plans out of concern that certain topics might be considered controversial. Despite this, the majority of teachers (77%) believe it is the responsibility of schools to teach students how to engage in respectful discussions with those who hold different views.
In this context, four main strategies are recommended: Schools should enhance media literacy for both teachers and students to help them identify reliable information sources; encourage students to constructively engage with differing perspectives; place greater emphasis on civics education to build a shared understanding of democracy; and use unbiased teaching materials to present students with a variety of political perspectives.
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