New article by Beutel et al.: Democracy as lived school quality

In their contribution, Beutel et al. illustrate how democracy education is embedded as a guiding principle of school quality in the context of the German School Award (Deutscher Schulpreis). The article shows that “good schools” understand democracy not only as an educational goal but as a lived practice—visible in teaching quality, responsibility, inclusion, and participation. Drawing on examples such as the Nelson Mandela Comprehensive School in Bergisch Gladbach, the authors demonstrate how democratic school development can be realized through self-directed learning times, project-based learning, and service learning. The paper also highlights the importance of collegial cooperation, reflection, and professional development. Democracy education is presented as a cross-cutting task of school development that strengthens students’ motivation, self-efficacy, and sense of responsibility, while providing valuable impulses for teaching, learning, and performance.