Search

There is growing international concern about the lack of civic engagement among the youth in many nations. These concerns have sparked renewed interest in the quantity and quality of civic education in public schools in the United States. The objective of this study is to determine if the concerns about civic education are about the sufficiency of academic content related to civic education or if the concerns reflect a lack of consensus regarding the question of "What makes a good citizen?" To address this question, this paper examines state social studies content standards from five U.S. states to determine if specific perspectives on citizenship are present in the standards and which perspectives are emphasized. University websites are also analyzed to assess their focus on citizenship. The study finds that the citizenship education in K-12 schools is robust, and specific perspectives are emphasized. This emphasis on specific perspectives, as opposed to a lack of academic content related to civic education, may be at the heart of the debate over citizenship education. [Paper originally prepared for presentation at the International Association of Schools and Institutes of Administration conference, July 6-10, 2015, Paris, France.]

Describes a group investigation unit in a tenth grade English class that focused on the Middle East. Outlines six stages used for the investigation. Discusses the use of a steering committee as well as the problems and frustrations experienced during the project. Lists 10 areas in which the students' skills were expanded. (PRA)

While traditional civic education in the United States is inextricably linked to notions of a public sphere, this paper argues that the digital era requires a reimagining of this premise. The opaque nature of digital spaces makes it difficult for young people to understand how large of an audience they are interacting with and to what extent a conversation that may feel private is rebounding across public contexts. In this conceptual paper, we (1) use semiotic squares to present publicly private and privately public as two ways to reinterpret traditional presumptions about the role of "the public" in civic education and (2) present the implications of these blended spaces for civic education and civic learning. The paper asks, what does it mean to prepare young people for interaction in the "public" sphere within our classrooms today? By drawing on a vignette of teacher practice, we articulate what civic education could be for students around the world in the 21st century.

Project Citizen is a civic education curriculum used across the US and internationally in 75 countries, but research centers' roles on Project Citizen lack literature. This paper examines the findings of a preliminary study designed to answer the "How does citizenship education occur through project-based learning via a research center at a university in the US?" question. In this case study, which is one of the qualitative research methods, the study group comprises faculty members, teaching assistants, teachers, and administrators working in the College of Education and research center with Project Citizen's applications. The great majority of the participants were from the field of social studies education The data were collected through semi-structured interview forms, audiotaping, and observation. The transcription of the data set is done by using Dragon Professional software. Findings revealed that the mission of the research center's structure, studies, personnel, and budget is an essential factor; the research center plays an active role in addressing the problems of its practice by providing the teachers with the necessary in-service training support and student guidance. Besides, there are suggestions to be taken into account in the study of establishing a similar research center. The results show that research centers will have an essential role in extending project-based civics education.

Culture is a crucial facet in Teaching English as a Foreign Language. (TEFL) Hence, we shall in this paper discuss the theories underpinning this concept and how we can utilize these epistemological and ontological understandings to promote the TEFL field and the higher education task. Henceforward, we have answered the following question: How to move from the essentialist view of culture to the non-essentialist view of culture, and why it is essential to do so in 21st century English as a Foreign Language context? To answer the proposed question, we have discussed the essentialist and non-essentialist dichotomy of the culture concept and how both frameworks affect TEFL and intercultural language teaching (ILT) differently. In this regard, we aim to help EFL policymakers, EFL teachers, and students alike shift their attention towards the merits of adopting a non-essentialist understanding of the culture concept in the ILT. First, this article covers the theories of culture to understand this concept from different anthropological perspectives. Second, we relied on Byram's Model (1997) critiques to demonstrate how a misunderstanding of culture as a concept can be damaging. Third, after critically discussing the relevant literature, we recommended an anti-culturalist perspective in the EFL context to improve the ILT experience. This article concludes with recommendations for EFL and ELT policymakers and EFL teachers and students alike. The proposals mainly focus on shifting the attention towards a non-culturalist approach towards culture.

In narrative style, this paper looks at how a particular teaching-learning event, a meeting in 2003 between Canadian high school students and their Costa Rican host families in Pedrogosso, Costa Rica, unveils pedagogies of global citizenship. By interweaving insights obtained from scholars of education, experiences of students, and reflections by teachers, the author shows how learning for world citizenship often happens in unexpected and unscripted circumstances, when teachers are absent--although, not without responsibility.

Canadian school jurisdictions have taken steps to accommodate objectives to advance cosmopolitan education reflecting principles such as global citizenship, compassion, tolerance, responsibility, and respect within school curricula and educational practice. At the same time, a parallel set of reconciliation-related educational reforms, aligned with the Calls to Action that accompanied the 2015 Truth and Reconciliation Commission final report, have also gained urgency. Elements of reconciliation processes complement visions of cosmopolitanism, including objectives to foster dialogue and understanding between groups and advancements towards more holistic orientations to pedagogy and knowledge. However, conceptually and in practice, several tensions emerge, especially in a context in which educational priorities are contested. In this paper, we explore these connections and tensions with reference to findings from our research examining public perspectives on educational reforms to support reconciliation.

This paper provides an overview of the problematic state of Philippine democracy that has long been attributed to the nation's history of colonial rule, widespread poverty and inequality, oligarchic structures, and dysfunctional institutions. It focuses on the role of education and Social Studies Education, specifically, in cultivating in Filipino citizens skills and attitudes necessary for active participation in deliberative democracy. Drawing from Dewey's philosophy of progressivist and democratic education, Peirce's notion of community of inquiry, as well as Lipman's Philosophy for/with Children, it sketches how Social Studies situated in classroom communities of inquiry will help develop communitarian dispositions and inquiry skills that are indispensable in a healthy and vibrant democracy. While it is recognized that there are numerous other pedagogies that aim at similar purposes, it is argued that the community of inquiry enables a unique and robust learning process that allows students to think reflectively, explore various contexts and experiences, question their assumptions, identify their prejudices, and make their own conclusions through deliberative, intersubjective dialogue.

Background: Within the current labor market, continuously changing and accelerating since the COVID-19 crisis (World Economic Forum, 2021), the educational system must offer a pedagogical alternative to face and anticipate these 21st century changes and demands (OECD, 2018). Based on the four-dimensional education framework, from the Center for Curriculum Redesign (CCR), the online learning literature, and students' perspectives, the Beyond Education (BE) organization has proposed a series of interactive online pedagogical programs aiming to develop 21st-century competencies in school-age students. Methods: The aim of this paper is to propose both quantitative and qualitative data analyses of the first pilot program: "BE a Global Citizen" through a semi-experimental study, using a mixed-method approach, analyzing the pre- and post-tests results of 26 students aged 16 to 18 years old. Results: Analyses presented evidence of the program's efficacy at developing 21st century competencies in students, particularly those competencies targeted by the program, which were significantly increased. Conclusions: Although these are promising results, a replicability study needs to be done on a larger sample in order to generalize the results.

Purpose: Scholars are increasingly paying attention to the characteristics of effective citizenship education. The systematic use of data to maximise student learning, also called an output-driven approach, is often presented as a powerful predictor of student outcomes. However, its effectiveness has not been studied in citizenship education. Therefore, this paper aims to theoretically reflect on whether an output-driven approach is also feasible for citizenship education. Methodology: We distinguish five building blocks of an output-driven approach and elaborate on their applicability in citizenship education. While doing so, we draw attention to the normative notion in citizenship education and the quality and availability of measurement instruments for citizenship competences. Both may challenge the application of an output-driven approach, particularly given the relatively young tradition of measuring citizenship competences. Findings: We conclude that an output-driven approach in citizenship education seems feasible, provided that the characteristics of citizenship education are carefully considered.

Purpose: The paper maps recent developments in civics and social education in primary and lower secondary Romanian education systems, pointing to significant curriculum changes, within the broader competence-based curriculum reform. The analysis aims also to formulate policy recommendations, based on identified challenges. Design/methodology/approach: The methodology uses documentary analysis of curriculum and thematic studies, relevant for the policy reforms and practice conceptualisations in civics/social education. Research limitations/implications: The main findings document the important step forward in promoting civics competencies in Romanian primary education, and social competencies in the lower secondary curriculum. Various challenges affecting the effective implementation of these changes are identified, both at system and school-level. Practical implications: Focus on formal written and taught curriculum. As curriculum reform in upper secondary education is ongoing, the analysis is limited to primary and lower secondary education.

Purpose: The paper provides an overview of the current state of school social science education in Ukraine, whose development is considered in the context of its internal and external challenges. Design/methodology/approach: The analysis of the regulatory documents, school social science curriculum and course syllabi as well as publications and interviews with the stakeholders are the methods applied to identify the mission, content and current challenges of social science education. Findings: The underlying concept is based on universal human, European and national values, respect for Ukrainian traditions and the traditions of other cultures and ethnic groups, principles of democracy, human rights and freedoms. Being a dynamic area of education, school social science is undergoing a transformation under the New Ukrainian School reform focusing on competency based integrative approach to education. The Russian military aggression against the country is another transformation factor that is currently being addressed.

Purpose: This paper discusses developments in citizenship education policy and practice in the Netherlands, and outlines key challenges as faced by the different stakeholders involved. Design/methodology/approach: Our discussion is based on existing research and policy documents in the Netherlands. The authors, from three Dutch universities, are experts in the field of research on citizenship education. Findings: Promoting citizenship education in primary, secondary and vocational tertiary education in the Netherlands has been challenging, particularly in light of the constitutional freedom of education in the Netherlands. Five issues are discussed in this regard: the contents of CE legislation, the normative character of legal requirements, integration of CE legislation in national curriculum aims, clarifying expectations from schools in teaching CE, and teacher education and professionalization.

Purpose: In light of growing attention to promoting democratic learning opportunities in the EU and the US, this study provides insight into student opportunities to engage in the organisation of mock elections in Dutch high schools, and constraints that teachers identify in implementing mock elections. Approach: A survey study was conducted. One fourth of Dutch high schools that organise mock elections through the National NGO for Democracy and Education participated. Findings: Data analysis reveals clear discrepancies between the existing versus the desired (1) participation of student groups invited to the organisation of mock elections and (2) types of student involvement offered in our research population according to teachers. Main constraints that teachers identified are: limited resources for curriculum development; lack of a clear school-policy on citizenship education; and insufficient attention to relevant teacher competences in (post)initial training. Practical implications: our paper concludes with several suggestions for strengthening policies and practices on political and educational participatory practices in schools. in citizenship education. These findings indicate that addressing the material or sensory tokens inherent in such exclusionary discourse may be a useful starting point.

This paper focuses on the relationship between agency and knowledge within the context of rising nationalism and populism. The case is the Czech debate over the reintroduction of civil defence education (CDE). It was abandoned in 1989 but recently, many new and contradictory calls for its return have appeared. We aim to gain an understanding of what the nationalising of education does with actorship in educational governance and how agency is achieved in pushing or criticising nationalist claims in education. The dataset consists of media entries, strategic documents, and interviews. We argue that the populist repertoire intervened significantly in "defining" what is the problem that some groups wanted to solve by a renewal of CDE. This situation stabilised the position of security-military expertise as reasonable knowledge, which concealed the educational nature of the problem and thus denied educational actors a role in agency. The role of the state structures responsible for education was problematised and set the difference of the Czech case in the European context regarding educational governance. We conclude that contemporary nationalists' claims concerning education may be seen as a sign of the changing role of expert knowledge that camouflaged defence education as an educational problem.

The paper covers some conceptual ideas, experience and certain results of forming civil awareness in high-school students of senior grades during the education process. Novelty of the presented paper lies in a comprehensive approach to the issue of the civil awareness formation in high-school senior graders. In this respect the article focuses on the idea of integrating the notion of civil values into the educational process. Such values are called upon to bridge the gap between education and upbringing. The article brings forward the essence and structure of civil values awareness in senior-graders. The paper demonstrates the formation model of the afore-mentioned civil values awareness in students of senior grades. The authors have defined the set of pedagogical conditions required to effectively form civil values awareness in senior-graders, and have developed the evaluation criteria of the extent to which the civil values awareness is developed. Based on the criteria a diagnostic method has been created to evaluate the level of the formed civil values awareness. In the course of research conventional theoretical methods as well empirical methods were used, the preferred one of which was a pedagogical experiment. The authors pointed out the educational process itself is the driving force behind the effective formation of the civil values awareness in the senior-graders, and the process is based on the system of universal human values, national values, and democratic values, which in their turn make the civil values awareness category meaningful. Moreover, the study proved the idea that civil values awareness among the senior-graders is formed in an integrated way both in educational and upbringing activities as well as in extracurricular activity.

In support of sustainable development, the United Nations (UN) launched its Global Education First Initiative (GEFI) with the aims of accelerating progress towards universal access to education, good quality learning and the fostering of global citizenship. This paper explores how and to what extent Stoic virtue ethics and critical Freirean ecopedagogies can advance the UN's vision for progressive educational systems with transformative societal effects. We propose an integrated solution that provides ecopedagogical concepts a more robust philosophical foundation whilst also offering Stoicism additional tools to tackle 21st-century problems, such as climate change and environmental degradation. The result of the paper is the preliminary theoretical underpinnings of an educational framework that encompasses planetary-level concerns and offers a fuller expression of the terms "sustainable development" and "global citizen".

The relevance of the problem under study stems from the new social and economic, moral and psychological situation in the society. In its development, the priority is currently given to both shared human values and national ones, to initiative and entrepreneurial spirit of the young people who can transform their homeland and improve Russia's life in general. With regard to this, the objective of this research is to outline the pedagogical technology for measuring the patriotism formation level in senior school students in conditions of social commitment and initiative gaining importance. The leading method of studying the problem is the criteria- and levels-based approach which allows singling out the criteria and levels of formation of patriotism in the contemporary senior school students. In the paper, the following criteria are suggested for the extent of formation of patriotism: the needs-related and motivational one, the cognitive and emotional one, and the behavioral criterion. The authors distinguish between a very high, a high, an average, and a low patriotism formation level. They also discuss the foreign experience of shaping social commitment and initiative in children and youth. The materials of the paper are of practical importance for teachers, educators, class teachers of comprehensive institutions and further education institutions, as well as for the young teachers and students of pedagogical higher educational institutions.

The aim of this study is to explore the perceptions of ELT instructors working at a higher education institution in Turkey regarding integrating global citizenship education into ELT courses. The study was carried out by using phenomenological design, which is one of the qualitative studies. The data were collected using interview method and a semi-structured interview form was developed by the researcher as the data collection tool. The participants, selected on the basis of easily accessible sampling method, which is one of the purposeful sampling methods. The participants comprises of 13 English instructors who work at a higher education institution in the Central Anatolia Region in the academic year 2015-2016. Instructors' opinions were taken regarding how they described global citizenship, what were their roles and responsibilities in educating students as global citizens, how they practiced global citizenship education in their classes, and the challenges they were facing in practicing global citizenship education in ELT courses. Data were analysed with content analysis technique. Findings revealed that participants mostly focused on the "value" dimension of global citizenship such as respect, sensitivity, sense of belonging, responsibility, openness, etc. The instructors deemed their roles and responsibilities in preparing students as global citizens as an informer and role model. While most of the participants stated that they did not involve any specific teaching practices in their classes to educate students as global citizens, as they thought ELT lessons and global citizenship education were irrelevant, addressing global issues in the courses and role modelling were conducted by few instructors to promote global citizenship. Predominantly grammar-based teaching and student unwillingness were found as challenges of integrating global citizenship into ELT. As a result, it was concluded that ELT instructors have insufficient levels of knowledge, skills, attitude and action related with global citizenship education. [This paper was presented at the XI. European Conference on Social and Behavioral Sciences held in Rome on September 1-4, 2016.]