Teaching Controversial Issues

Adequate application of teaching methods when discussing controversial topics so that pupils can
participate in the social debate, especially among groups characterised by diversity and/or a low level
of education, proves to be difficult for teachers. Teachers have to "see" how to use such teaching
methods in an appropriate, effective way, so to speak.
The project will elaborate 12 teaching strategies in relation to the material of the European Values
Study (data, interactive tools, scientific insights). Difficulties in using these strategies in challenging
contexts will be explored, and teachers will be offered tools. Videos will be made of all 12 methods,
and together they are the basis of an online module for teachers.
The challenges described above occur especially when addressing controversial issues in diverse ,
(high percentage of students with migrant backgrounds), polarised or demanding (lower levels of
education) classes (Knowles, 2020; McAvoy & Hess, 2013). Therefore, the project mainly focuses on
these target groups. To this end, the participating teacher training institutes in four countries (NL, BE,
TR and SK) will collaborate with one school, which is explicitly characterised by a context of
multiculturalism and a lower level of education. Of course, the teaching strategies and materials
developed (videos, toolkits) in these contexts can also be used for other target groups.
The project aims to combine the expertise of social science theory and data (European Values Study),
of teacher training institutes with the expertise of teachers in the field to make a concrete
contribution that "works" for teachers. An added-value for teachers is that these are "teaching
methods" and not teaching materials: this allows a transfer to other topics. Teaching methods can be
used to reach different goals. Visualisation will show ‘good practices’ in different fields of education.
Furthermore a method can be used to teach the existing programme, whereas materials are seen as
an "extra" effort in an educational programme perceived as overloaded.
Dissemination of project results will focus on the professional field itself (teachers who have to teach
controversial topics in the context of their subject or citizenship education; school leaders who have
to design curriculum development in the field of citizenship) but also on teacher training institutes
because they train future teachers and provide in-service training. Higher education partners can
implement teaching methods and good practices in their didactics courses.
Both teachers and teacher training institutes will be able to access the teaching methods and good
practices in a new module on www.atlasofeuropeanvalues.eu. Exchange of international
participating schools will be stimulated using eTwinning. Firstly partner schools in this project will be
connected to eTwinning, in a next step also other international schools will be stimulated to
collaborate.