jueves, 20 de agosto de 2026

Experiencing Democracy in the Classroom

Experiencing Democracy in the Classroom: Building Democratic Learning Environments to Promote Civic Learning is an open-access publication edited by Valeria Damiani and published by Springer in 2026 as part of the IEA Research for Educators series. Its starting point is both simple and powerful: schools are not only places where students learn about democracy; they are also places where they can experience and practise it.

The publication aims to provide teachers with practical tools and examples to create democratic learning environments, strengthen civic learning and encourage students to become more engaged in classroom and community life. It emphasises that when students have meaningful opportunities to participate, express their views, listen to others and become involved in decision-making, they develop not only civic knowledge but also the attitudes and behaviours needed for active citizenship.

The first part of the book connects the theory of civic and citizenship education with everyday classroom practice. It looks at the role of schools and communities in developing citizenship and also draws on findings from the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS). The second part moves towards practice, presenting teaching strategies and examples from schools in Italy, the Netherlands, Brazil and Slovenia. These experiences provide inspiration for teachers who want to make participation, dialogue and democratic values a more visible part of school life.

For teachers, the publication offers an interesting reminder that democratic education does not have to be restricted to a particular subject or occasional activity. The way we organise a classroom, encourage discussion, manage disagreement and give students a voice is itself an opportunity to teach democracy. This makes the book particularly relevant for work on active citizenship, critical thinking, human rights, inclusion, media literacy and participation.

The publication is freely available online, making it an accessible resource for teachers and schools interested in developing more participatory and democratic educational environments.

https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-032-25449-8

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