Democratic education can be conceptualised as education for, within and through democracy (Sant, 2019). Such a holistic vision has profound implications for school practice. For instance, assessment suddenly becomes increasingly about children growing into citizens that can voice their needs and concerns while also being able to listen to others. By that, democratic education shapes the underlying grammar of schooling which is a development that needs to be addressed in teacher education.
In this section, teachers from Labyrinth Laboratory School Brno and researchers from Masaryk University Brno share two units they have developed for their university-based teacher training seminars. Using two practical examples, one about the importance of the community and one about formative assessment, this section informs teacher trainees about the progressive democratic trends in the current teaching practice. In addition, it highlights the benefits of the cooperation between universities and schools, which is one of the key principles of a laboratory school, and helps to bring research-based expertise into schools.
