Teaching Controversies
Welcome to Judy Pace’s updated website on Teaching Controversies. Teaching controversial issues means exploring important questions about the past, present, and future that generate disagreement and, sometimes, emotional reactions. A cornerstone of democratic education, it engages classroom learners in inquiry and dialogue on differing perspectives on those questions, informed by evidence, lived experience, and values. Here you will find research-based tools, guidance, and resources for taking up the methodology of teaching controversial issues. These tools have been adapted to a variety of national contexts, including the U.S., Northern Ireland, South Africa, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
I took the above photo of student artwork at Lagan College in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Controversial issues explored in the classroom can range from global to local levels. They also range from cooler (not so emotionally and politically charged) to hotter (very sensitive and provocative), depending on context. Here are some examples:
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What should the role of AI be in schools?
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How should schools deal with racist content on students’ private social media accounts?
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What should be the boundaries of free speech?
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What should be done with controversial public monuments and controversial art?
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What should be done about gender-based violence?
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Who benefited from South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation process?
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What made the U.S. drop atomic bombs on Japan?
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How should the 1990s Bosnian war be taught in Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Remains of the monument to British colonialist Cecil Rhodes at the University of Cape Town.
One of the peace walls built during the Troubles in Northern Ireland to separate Protestant and Catholic communities.
The Need
Teaching controversial issues is urgently needed to cultivate young people’s ability to examine and exchange ideas about important questions that matter to them and their society. Discussion of controversial issues develops critical thinking, discussion skills, and political engagement. But taking up controversy in the classroom can be risky and fraught with tension, so teachers need guidance, tools, and support to do this work thoughtfully and skillfully. Which issues should we bring into the classroom, how should we frame them, and what methods and resources should we use? How do we best foster equitable student participation? How do we deal with issues that bear on teacher and student identities, community allegiances, and emotions? How can we manage the risks of teaching in an intensely polarized political climate? And how can teachers handle unplanned classroom controversy that erupts spontaneously?
What's on this Website
Framework
A research-based holistic set of strategies and
over 32 resources from many different organizations to guide teachers in reflective practice.
The Book: Hard Questions
Information about my book, Hard Questions: Learning to Teach Controversial Issues.