Discussing Controversial Issues: Four Perspectives on the Teacher's Role

Abstract Much debate exists over the role teachers should assume in the discussion of controversial issues. This paper presents and critiques four perspectives on that debate. The-perspectives are characterized as exclusive neutrality, exclusive partiality, neutral impartiality and committed impartiality. Synthesizing research and scholarship from a number of fields, the paper proposes committed impartiality as the most defensible teacher role.