Research
A Repository of Research on civics & developing civic dispositions
The Forum on Democracy and Education is committed to producing scholarship that informs action. Our research efforts serve as a bridge between high-level theory and the daily realities of classrooms. Explore our collection of white papers, Forum Briefs, and engagement resources to discover innovative strategies for enriched civics teaching and learning.
Scholarly Foundations
Research papers, scholarly reviews, and working papers
Charting K-12 Civic Learning: Landscape of Civics Education in 2025
Published December 2025 by Amanda Baker with contributions from Paul Goren, Katie Kinnaman and Erica Swirsky
Explore the Interactive Landscape Analysis on K-12 Civic Learning in 2025
Civics Education, Democracy and Public Schooling: Dilemmas, Tensions and Directions for Research
Published August 2026 by Joshua L. Glazer, Ayla Deniz, Amar Fattal and Erica Swirsky
From Guarantor to Coordinator: Federal Enforcement Capacity State Discretion and the Fragmentation of Educational Equity
Published August 2026 by Jessica N. Butler and Elizabeth D. Tuckwiller
Policy & Practice
Issue briefs, briefing notes, and workshop summaries
George Washington's Enlightenment: The First President as a Learner and Patron of Learning (Forum Brief)
Published November 11, 2025 by Ayla Deniz and Amar Fattal
Developing Civic Dispositions: Lessons from West Texas (Salon Brief)
Published January 2026 by Amanda Baker with contributions from from Hannah Pontari
Beyond Test Scores and Academic Credits: The Use of a Portrait of a Graduate to Develop the Citizens We Need (Working Paper Draft)
Published October 2025 by Scott Joftus and Hannah Pontari
Bringing Democracy into the School (Forum Brief)
Published April 2026 by Scott Joftus
AERA Salons 2026
The Forum on Democracy and Education hosted four salons during the 2026 American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Conference in Los Angeles, California. Scholars, practitioners, policy makers and advocates, students, and teachers gathered to learn with and from one another about civics education in the US and abroad.
The Science of Learning and the Learning of Science: How to Embed Civics into the STEM Curriculum (April 10, 2026)
Written by Amar Fattal; Featured Panelists: Courtney Bell, Julia Carboni and Susan Yoon
International Perspectives on Civics and the Development of Civic Dispositions (April 11, 2026)
Written by Amanda Baker; Featured Panelists: Assylbek Kozhakhmetov, Revaz Tabatadze, Tammy Hoffman and Sevinj Mammadova
Themes Emerging from Reviews of the the Literature and the Landscape of Civic Learning in K-12 Education (April 12, 2026)
Written by Amanda Baker; Featured Panelists: Joshua Glazer, Amanda Baker, Paul Goren
Partner With Us
Are you a researcher or educator focused on the intersection of education and democratic principles?
We invite you to collaborate with the FDE. Whether through contributing to our working papers or participating in our research-informed deliberations, let’s work together to build a robust knowledge base on civics education.
Contact fde-gw
gwu [dot] edu (fde-gw[at]gwu[dot]edu) to learn more.