Swedish teachers struggle to teach values while encouraging students to question them
A new study reveals a fundamental tension in social studies classrooms: teachers promote critical thinking while modeling the very liberal values they're supposed to remain neutral about. The finding exposes a gap in education policy that leaves instructors navigating competing demands without official guidance—raising questions about whether schools are truly preparing students to scrutinize dominant ideas.
Originaltitel: Controversial issues in social study subjects: conveying values and facilitating critical thinking
<p>This study explores the practical implications of the paradox of moral education, focusing on how Swedish social study teachers (civics, geography, history, and religious education) navigate conflicting responsibilities to convey values and facilitate critical thinking when addressing controversial issues in their classrooms. Through qualitative interviews and observations, teachers were found to often lead by example, maintaining neutrality and presenting diverse perspectives. This approach appears to foster students towards embracing liberal values, promoting independent decision-making and personal responsibility, but it may come at the cost of critically evaluating these very ideals, norms, and values. The absence of official guidelines in the Swedish school system underscores the significance of understanding how teachers balance these conflicting responsibilities in their pedagogical practices. The study sheds light on the practical strategies employed by teachers, contributing valuable insights to a discourse traditionally centred on theoretical solutions to the paradox of moral education.</p>