The task of education, and in particular the role of teachers, is seen as crucial in preparing young people for society. The authors of this volume argue for a critical democratic citizenship in which students combine autonomy and critical thinking with justice and social care. The contributors to this volume are leading researchers in the field of moral and democratic education and they all combine profound theoretical foundations with empirical research that can help practitioners in their pedagogical actions. The first three articles focus on values and what students might learn from them. An important question is what students can learn from moral mistakes. The second part of the book focuses on the role of teachers in moral and democratic education. What is their pedagogical professionalism and how can that be strengthened by teacher education and by collaborative action research? The third part looks at the development of moral and democratic education in schools. It shows how schools can stimulate the development of students’ values with regard to critical democratic citizenship.

The Editors: Wiel Veugelers is professor of education at the University for Humanistics in Utrecht and a faculty member in the Graduate Institute of Teaching and Learning of the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Fritz K. Oser is professor of pedagogy and educational psychology at the Department of Education at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland.