Patricia G. Avery
Professor
Ph.D., Emory University
Social studies education
168 Peik Hall
612-625-5802
avery001@umn.edu
Office hours: by appointment
My interest in political socialization and education began almost 30 years ago as an undergraduate political science major: How do young people’s political conceptualizations and orientations develop, and what role does schooling play in the process? Early in my career, I focused on how U.S. students view dissent and dissenters in a democratic society. This led to inquiries into how students learn about dissent, as well as controversial issues generally, in the civics classroom. I served on the Expert Panel on Civic Education for the International Association for the Evaluation of Education Achievement (IEA) between 1995 and 2001. As part of that study, we examined data on the political knowledge and orientations of 14- and 17-year-olds from over 28 countries. I currently coordinate the evaluation of the Deliberating in a Democracy Project, a study in which models for discussing controversial public issues are implemented in secondary classrooms in three U.S. cities (Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC), and three countries (Azerbaijan, Czech Republic, and Lithuania). 2004-2005 is the first year of this five-year project; each year, the project will be expanded to additional sites within and outside the United States.
Selected publications
Avery, P.G., & Hahn, C.L. (2004). Diversity and U.S. 14-year-olds’ knowledge, attitudes, and experiences. In Stephan, W., & Vogt, P. (Eds.). Education programs for improving intergroup learning (pp. 195-210). New York: Teachers College Press.
Avery, P.G. (2003). Using research about civic education to improve courses in the methods of teaching social studies. In Patrick, J.J., Hamot, G.E., & Leming, R.S. (Eds.). Civic learning in teacher education: International perspectives on education for democracy in the preparation of teachers (pp. 45-65). Bloomington, IN: ERIC Clearinghouse for Social Studies/Social Science Education.
Avery, P.G. (2002). Political tolerance, democracy, and adolescents. In Parker, W. C. (Ed). Education for democracy: Contexts, curricula, assessments (pp. 113-130). Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.
Avery, P.G. (2002). Teaching tolerance: What research tells us. Social Education, 66 (5), 270-275.
Avery, P.G. (2002). Political socialization, tolerance and sexual identity. Theory and Research in Social Studies Education, 30 (2), 190-197.
Featured research and outreach
Revised September 2009
