Experiencing Democracy in the Classroom: Building Democratic Learning Environments to Promote Civic Learning

This open access volume aims to support teachers with tools and examples of practices to facilitate democratic learning environments, strengthen civic learning, and foster students’ attitudes and engagement in the classroom. Schools are among the most relevant contexts for students to practice citizenship firsthand. By building democratic learning environments, schools provide meaningful opportunities for students to develop civic knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors and, ultimately, to experience democracy. The first part of the book connects civic and citizenship education theory with classroom practice, explores how schools and communities can nurture citizenship education, and discusses insights from ICCS findings. The second part offers practical teaching strategies and examples from schools in Italy, the Netherlands, Brazil, and Slovenia, with the aim of inspiring the development of democratic learning environments and promoting meaningful civic participation.