WHY IS A CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES DISCUSSION AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF SOCIAL STUDIES INSTRUCTION?
Many reasons have been given to support the use of controversial issues discussions in social studies classrooms. Three of the most prevalent are (1) preparing students for their roles as citizens in a pluralistic democracy, (2) developing critical thinking skills, and (3) improving interpersonal skills. Citizenship Preparation We must prepare students, as young citizens, to grapple with a wide array of social problems. Newmann (1989) argues that the main task for democratic citizens is to deliberate with other citizens about the nature of the public good and how to achieve it. Social studies classrooms should serve, therefore, as a laboratory in which students can experiment with democratic processes. Critical Thinking The teaching of controversial issues is also proposed as a means to develop students’ critical thinking. Through discussion of controversial issues, students develop cognitive skills, such as constructing hypotheses and collecting and evaluating evidence. They also gain
