The deliberative classroom and the development of secondary students’ conceptual understanding of Democracy

Government policy requires schools to promote the fundamental British values (FBVs), defined as democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. One educational responses to this policy is to make these concepts the object of study and discussion, rather than seeking to simply ‘promote’ them in some uncritical way. This acknowledges that ideas such as democracy are not in themselves values, rather they are complex and contested concepts. It means little to say we support liberty or toleration unless we are aware what that means, the conditions under which we are willing to limit those principles, and the challenges they pose. These judgements require critical engagement with relevant knowledge and they benefit from discussion through which positions can be tested and refined.
This research builds on the opportunity afforded by the production and dissemination of the Deliberative Classroom education resources to address two main research questions:
1. How can we measure the extent to which deliberative talk is taking place in the classroom?
2. How do students engage with and use the concepts and knowledge to explore controversial issues?
As such the research is designed to explore the application of deliberative democracy in the classroom – addressing the extent to which the classroom operates as a deliberative space, and the nature of the deliberation that takes place.