Outcome-Based Education and Democratic Commitment: Hopes and Possibilities

It is argued that for the Educational Left to gain emancipatory ground present reform movements such as outcome-based education will have to be considered as hopeful democratic signs. To do this, a dialectic of social critique and democratic hope must inform policymakers. To this end, this article analyzes and critiques outcome-based education, arguing that teachers will have to take personal responsibility as to how they ground democratic hope within policy. The author suggests a transitionary democratic framework that may guide teachers, administrators, and policymakers in this endeavor.