The role of leaders in fostering civic engagement and student voice activities : tales from a democratic school

Abstract

This symposium examines the question: how can school leaders can foster civic engagement practice throughout the school? The papers examine aspects of this theme within one elementary school: the (perhaps inherent) dilemmas of being a democratic leader, the contexts and conditions that impact the promotion of civic-efficacy in children, the relationship between civic engagement and inquiry-based practices, and the way in which teachers “sense-make” of their leader’s civic-based initiatives. In a time when schools face constant pressure to narrow the focus on test scores, the papers provide important lessons on how leaders can maintain a vision of civic education despite these strong external pressures.Godkänd; 2011; 20111205 (ulrber