Polarization and Classroom Practice, Part IV: Responding to Contemporary Challenges

by Shawn P. Healy, PhD, Democracy Program Director

In the first three posts of this four part series, Shawn profiled the political typologies of educators, examined the promise of controversial issues discussions in classrooms to mitigate political polarization’s long-term, deleterious effects, and explored polarization itself, determining the extent to which it is a mass or elite-driven phenomenon. Mary Ellen followed with applicable classroom resources, and we conclude today with a collaborative piece responding to contemporary challenges of classroom practice.

Last month, our Illinois Civics Teacher Mentors gathered for their midyear touchpoint in Champaign and political polarization was in the air. Specifically, what can teachers themselves do to mitigate it? Three questions that surfaced are listed below, followed by our preliminary responses.

1. I teach in a politically polarized community and fear that one misstep on my part will draw the ire of parents. How do I protect myself, yet still bring political issues into my classroom?

First, Illinois social studies teachers have the benefit of supportive state policies. Our high school civics course requirement embeds discussions of current and controversial issues, and our revised K-12 social studies standards contain a deliberative strand.

Second, understand the pedagogical value of teaching with controversy and be prepared to advocate for it with key stakeholders like administrators, school board members, and parents.

Third, utilize high-quality materials like Mary Ellen highlighted in this earlier post, and emphasize issues that are open for political debate and perhaps less prominent, yet still compelling. Abortion? No. A progressive versus flat state income tax? Yes!

Fourth, be intentional about your decision about whether or not you will disclose your own political views with students. Either decision is defensible so long as students can comfortably disagree with you. But non-disclosure may be a safer option in a purple community or one where your personal views are outliers.

2. While the political views of most students are in a nascent form and often exhibit an ideologically heterogeneous pattern, a select few enter class with deeply ingrained and highly polarized beliefs. What can be done to temper them or at least teach these students the value of dialogue across difference?

First, success should not be defined as changing the mind of someone who is "set in their ways." Do they better understand the perspectives of others? Can they listen, consider, and respond civilly to others?

Second, can the students better defend their deeply ingrained positions? Can they use a variety of methods (logos, ethos, pathos) to articulate their views appropriately to others? Do they have a deeper understanding of the issue?

Third, can they find any common ground with those who hold alternative views? What can they agree on? Can they concur on the problem, but part ways on the solution? Can they find some "bridge" through shared values or principles?

Finally, search for nuances in controversial issues to deliberate. For example, Mary Ellen created a lesson plan on executive orders using DACA as a case study. The debate is not about DACA (where students are likely to have more inflexible opinions), but instead, should the president use executive orders to create public policy?

3. Social media usage among students is ubiquitous, and online networks are politically homogeneous, resulting in ideological echo chambers. How can classroom practice prevent or reverse these amplifying forces of polarization?

We have made the case for integrating news literacy into civics classrooms and highlighted related resources in previous posts, and given that students’ media consumption increasingly occurs online, we must help them navigate difficult, yet bountiful terrain.

Consider crowdsourcing your classes’ news diets and discussing the credibility and ideological positioning of selected news sources. What sources are worth Facebook follows and which reporters write compelling tweets? Perhaps have them sign-up for objective compilations of local, state, and national news stories from a variety of sources such as Politico’s Illinois Playbook or the Chicago Tribune’s Morning Spin.

Finally, on a more basic level, discuss the value of transpartisan friendships and dialogue online, mirroring the safe, ideologically diverse, and substantively rich deliberations you facilitate in the classroom.