ERIC Number: EJ760278
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006
Pages: 23
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0093-3104
EISSN: N/A
Secondary Schools and Communities of Practice for Democratic Civic Education: Challenges of Authority and Authenticity
Levinson, Bradley A. U.; Brantmeier, Edward J.
Theory and Research in Social Education, v34 n3 p324-346 Sum 2006
This article reviews and critiques the concept of "community of practice" (CoP), and analyzes its relevance for democratic citizenship education in secondary social studies. The authors discuss the origins of the CoP concept in the work of Lave and Wenger (1991), trace its usage in recent educational scholarship, and outline its conceptual contributions. The authors call for the adoption of the CoP concept ("mutual engagement, joint enterprise, and shared repertoire") to guide powerful, meaningful democratic civic education at the secondary level, yet they also identify the special challenges of authority and authenticity presented by most existing school structures. Even as they recognize the need for broader structural reforms to make CoPs possible, in closing the authors suggest school-based practices (connective, simulative, cooperative, and exemplary) that, under current conditions, can foster democratic citizenship formation. (Contains 11 notes.)
Descriptors: Democracy, Citizenship Education, Secondary School Curriculum, Criticism, Concept Formation, Instructional Design, Instructional Leadership, Social Theories, Theory Practice Relationship, Intellectual History, Relevance (Education), Social Environment
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A