Research Handbook on Education and Democracy

Hardback

Research Handbook on Education and Democracy

9781803928104 Edward Elgar Publishing
Edited by Jan Germ Janmaat, Professor of Political Socialisation, Department of Education, Practice and Society, University College London, UK and Anne Bert Dijkstra, Professor of Evaluation and Socialisation in Education, Department of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Publication Date: May 2025 ISBN: 978 1 80392 810 4 Extent: c 496 pp
This timely Research Handbook examines how the many facets of education can foster democratic competences. It reviews state-of-the-art research and identifies a number of under-explored issues in the field, highlighting the potential of educational reforms in improving democratic engagement across a wealth of demographics.

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This timely Research Handbook examines how the many facets of education can foster democratic competences. It reviews state-of-the-art research and identifies a number of under-explored issues in the field, highlighting the potential of educational reforms in improving democratic engagement across a wealth of demographics.

Internationally renowned contributors discuss the definition of democratic competences, the promotion of these competences beyond political engagement, and opportunities for reducing social and ethnic inequalities in civic learning. They address key challenges, including the gap between education policy and practical implementation, and the difficulties of measuring causality. Reflecting on examples from the development of citizenship education in the UK to the cultivation of social trust in China and Japan, this incisive Handbook presents innovative ways to overcome major obstacles to political efficacy, ultimately underscoring the effectiveness of participatory pedagogies in strengthening democratic capabilities.

Students and academics in citizenship education, education policy and politics, and social sciences more broadly will benefit from the novel perspectives presented in this Research Handbook. It is also an invaluable resource for educational professionals and policy makers seeking to use education as a tool for advancing political understanding.
Critical Acclaim
‘The Research Handbook on Education and Democracy offers a rich exploration of how education fosters democratic competencies and reduces civic inequalities by combining comprehensive literature reviews with original research. A must-read for educators, policymakers, and researchers committed to advancing democratic values through education.’
– Anja Neundorf, University of Glasgow, UK

‘This fabulous Research Handbook comes at a crucial time. Democratic backsliding is occurring in numerous contexts around the globe. It is critically important to bolster educators’ efforts to prepare young people with democratic commitments and capacities. The careful research shared in this Handbook, provides very valuable support for that vital task.’
– Joseph Kahne, University of California, Riverside, USA

‘This Handbook offers a much-needed overview of cutting edge research on the effect of education on democratic competences. Its added value is that it also examines how education can reduce inequalities in these outcomes. This is a must read for everyone interested in the ability of education to sustain democracy.’
– Bryony Hoskins, University of Roehampton, UK
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