ABSTRACT
The idea of democratic classrooms suggests dynamic learning environments in which multiple viewpoints are heard and respected, where teachers and students support each other’s inquiry and study ideas in depth and for varying purposes. There is a shortage of educational settings supporting these kinds of teaching and learning. Instead, instruction that develops students’ independent thinking and respect for diverse viewpoints may be more of a myth than reality (DarlingHammond, 1996) with few students prepared to analyze conflicting points of view and think deeply about complex issues affecting their life or real-world problems (Applebee, Langer, & Mullins, 1988; Commeyras, 1993).
