Edward Elgar Publishing Research Handbook on Education and Democracy (Elgar Handbooks in Education)

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 policymakers seeking to use education as a tool for advancing political understanding.