Jurisprudential Inquiry: Learning to Think About Social Policy

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Jurisprudential InquiryLearning to Think About
Social Policy

• Kelly Caron

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What is Jurisprudential Inquiry?

• designed for secondary students in the social
  studies
• implies the case study method, reminiscent of
  legal education
• study cases involving social problems in areas
  where public policy is to be made (justice and
  equality, poverty and power etc.)
• identify the public policy issues as well as
  options available for dealing with them and the
  values underlying those options
• can be used in any area where there are public
  policy issues for instance ethics in science,
  business and sports etc.

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Judge..

• Imagine you are a supreme court justice hearing
  an important case. Your job is to listen to the
  evidence presented, analyze the legal positions
  taken by both sides, weigh these positions and
  the evidence, assess the meaning and provisions
  of the law and finally make the best possible
  decision. This is the role students are asked to
  take as they consider public policy.

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In order to play the role of inquirer 3 types of
competence required

• Familiarity with the values of the American creed
  (as embedded in the principles of the
  Constitution and the Declaration of Independence)
• Understanding of the values framework- the basis
  for judging public issues and for making legal
  decisions
• Understanding of the key values that form the
  core of our societys ethical system

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Brief Outline/ Overview

• Phase One Orientation to the case
• Phase Two Identifying Issues
• Phase Three Taking Positions
• Phase Four Exploring Stance
• Phase Five Refining and Qualifying the
  Positions.
• Phase Six Testing Factual Assumptions Behind
  Qualified Positions.

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Class Handout Instructions

• Take handout with blanks.
• Get into groups of 3 or four.
• Fill in the blanks by walking around the room.
• Be ready to answer questions with your group.

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Class Questions

• What is a value problem, factual problem, and
  definitional problem?
• What must students have to use this model?
• People make decisions based on issues involving
  values because the feel .

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Pros and Cons

• Get with a partner
• Decide if you think your paper is a pro or con.
• After you and your partner decide, come to the
  front of the room to check.
• Place pro on a green placard/ Place con on a red
  placard.

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Research from ERIC

• Analyze activity in groups
• Read the article and define the steps as a group.
• Decide if this activity effectively used the
  model.

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Steps to Identify..

• Phase One Orientation to the case
• Phase Two Identifying Issues
• Phase Three Taking Positions
• Phase Four Exploring Stance
• Phase Five Refining and Qualifying the
  Positions.
• Phase Six Testing Factual Assumptions Behind
  Qualified Positions.
• Also consider why the article is using role play.

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Models Impact on Student Achievement

• Believe that it provides a unique opportunity to
  become involved in learning through ownership of
  values
• Believe that it helps students make decisions in
  a democratic society

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Salient Information

• Students maintain a vigorous intellectual climate
  where all views are respected.
• Students can avoid direct evaluation of other
  students opinions.
• Students see issues and explore them thoroughly.

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Goal 12 US HistoryGrade- 11

• Goal- The United States since the Vietnam War
  (1973- present)- The learner will identify and
  analyze trends in domestic and foreign affairs of
  the United States during this time period.
• Objective 12.05 Assess the impact of growing
  racial and ethnic diversity in American society.
• Factual Content- Bilingual Education
• Jurisprudential Inquiry works well
• in this class because they must address
• public policy questions and analyze
• alternative positions.

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Different Methods to Teach English Language
Learners
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Class activity Two

• Orientation to the case Bilingual Education
• NABE's mission is to advocate for our nations
  Bilingual and English Language Learners and
  families and to cultivate a multilingual
  multicultural society by supporting and promoting
  policy, programs, pedagogy, research, and
  professional development that yield academic
  success, value native language, lead to English
  proficiency, and respect cultural and linguistic
  diversity. As tireless advocates that work to
  influence and create policies, programs,
  research, pedagogy and professional development,
  we know that we are investing in our children's
  education, our nations leadership, and our
  worlds well being. By using native and second
  languages in everyday life, we not only develop
  intercultural understanding, but we also show by
  example that we respect and can effectively cross
  cultural and linguistic borders.

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Review facts of Bilingual learner

• Nationwide only 7 percent of limited English
  learners scored at or above proficient
• 4 million students are enrolled nationwide with
  limited proficiency to English
• States report more than 460 languages spoken by
  students with limited proficiency in English

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Phase Two Identifying Issue

• Problem areas
• Racial/ Ethnic Conflict
• Religious/ Ideological Conflict
• Security of the Individual
• Conflict among Economic groups
• Health, Education, Welfare
• Security of the nation

• What values are conflicting?
• Property rights/ equal opportunity/ freedom/ more
  in book

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Phase Three Taking Positions

• Get into groups of three or four.
• Take a position on the issue presented in terms
  of social value and consequence in education.
• Remember to also consider models of teaching for
  bilingual students.

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Phase Four Exploring Stance

• Use the resources provided to explore the stance
  in your groups.
• Establish if a value is violated (from step two).
• Prove a desirable or undesirable consequence.
• Select priority of values.
• Also use your knowledge from the teaching models
  presented throughout class to address which model
  would help these students.

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Phase Five Refining and Qualifying the
Positions.

• State position and reason for position as a
  class.
• In your groups discuss Has your position
  changed based on the examination of others
  information?
• Remember Focus on models of teaching.

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Phase Six Testing Factual Assumptions Behind
Qualified Positions.

• Each group share their findings as a class.
• Examine validity as a class.

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Congress decided

• On May 10, by a vote of 62 to 34, the Senate
  adopted a measure authorizing increased funding
  for bilingual education programs. Proposed by
  Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D.-Ark.), the amendment
  would direct Congress to appropriate 750 million
  to boost bilingual educational programs by 2002.
  The amendment further authorizes a total of 11.5
  billion between fiscal year 2003 and 2008 for
  bilingual programs.