A Changing Vision of Education

Abstract

Young people are growing up at a time when issues of domestic and international conflict and a myriad of problems are increasingly intertwined. Rather than resorting to threats of retaliatory violent action, schools need to find ways to resolve conflicts peaceably. This article proposes that students be given specific opportunities to a) experience a caring environment, b) engage in decision-making and prosocial action, c) see prosocial behavior modeled by adults, d) develop skills such as perspective taking and conflict resolution, and e) confront injustice. Critical thinking, problem solving, and conflict resolution skills can be infused into academic teaching to foster the goals of citizenship education.