Civics & Citizenship Education Civics & Citizenship Education for the Futurefor the Future

Civics and citizenship …

“Learning about democracy and citizenship when I was at school, was a bit like reading holiday brochures in prison…”Derry Hannam, English School Inspector and adviser/trainer for the Council of Europe on Education for Democratic Citizenship

CIVICS AND CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION

•Should schools be responsible for for Civics & Citizenship Education? •What is a ‘good citizen’?•What is ‘Civics’ & ‘Citizenship’?•Are both civics & citizenship problematic constructions?•Who ‘owns’ it in the curriculum?•How can schools plan CCE programs?

The ‘Public’ ‘Debates’ & CCE

• Public schools as lacking a values framework V expectation of schools being responsible for increasing aspects of ‘social education’.

• Teaching of ‘Australian History’ (the simplistic narrative) V (complex )versions of Australian History.

• The ongoing debate about separate disciplines V integrated SOSE.

• A proposal for a National Curriculum (cohesion) V

State autonomy (diversity)

The ‘Public’ Debate & CCE

• Introduction of new citizenship test (exclusion) V ‘multiculturalism’ (inclusion).

• Role of the State V individual responsibility.• • National certainty about identity & core values

V confusions about location & identities.

• Globalisation &Global megatrends (Terrorism, social injustices) V retreat to national boundaries

Planning and strategizing about moving forward in CCE- What’s needed?

• An understanding about recent research tells us about teaching and learning in CCE - a dispelling of myths and avoiding old mistakes.

• Building on current teachers/ school practices.

• Being well-informed about current policies in CCE.

• Conceptualising meanings of CCE. • Auditing current policies and practices.

• Engaging students in the process.

• ‘Formal’ social education topics/curriculum alone have little effect on citizenship attitudes, dispositions & behaviours.

• Students who report extensive practice of patriotic rituals tend to be less knowledgeable about government and more authoritarian.

• At secondary level, students’ perceptions of a more ‘open’ classroom climate is associated with higher levels of political interest, efficacy and confidence.

• Students in classrooms that emphasise cooperation and collaboration show an increased ability to see the perspectives of others.

• Students grappling with controversial issues has a positive effect on political awareness and development of values.

• ** School governance that encourages students to actively engage in decision making has a positive effect on students later community engagement.

Research tells us about CCE

An understanding of the current situation about CCE as a means of moving forward

•Teachers/schools feel positive about CCE as a goal,but not THE goal of schooling.

• The take -up of Discovering Democracy materials, as an indicator of implementation of CCE, has been VERY patchy.

•Many teachers/schools are lacking knowledge about current debates,national policies and practices in CCE.

•Schools/teachers are mostly unable to clearly articulate meanings to ’civics’ and ‘citizenship’.

•Schools,particularly primary schools, are already doing a VERY wide range of what can be called CCE programs, but there is LITTLE sense of articulating this activity into cohesive CCE programs.

•Schools are anxious about meanings of ‘active’ citizenship and ‘community engagement’ in terms of time allocation and legal issues.

•Schools are very uncertain about the ‘ownership’ of CCE and meanings of a ‘whole school approach’, and many SOSE/ History/ Humanities teachers don’t see CCE as a central goal of their area.

•A generalised feeling that including CCE into the curriculum means removing other existing ‘topics’ ie there’s not enough time.

International PerspectivesInternational Education Assessment Civic Education Study (A 2002 study of over 20 countries about year 9/10 students’ civic knowledge,

to be repeated in 2008, managed by ACER.)

• Students in most countries have minimal understanding of fundamental democratic values and institutions.

•Students with the most civic knowledge are most likely to be open to participate as active citizens in civic activities. •Aside from voting, students are sceptical about traditional forms of political engagement, but open to other forms of involvement.

•Schools that model democratic practices are most effective in promoting civic knowledge and engagement.

National Perspectives• 1997 : Discovering Democracy program.• 1999 : National Goals for Schooling.• 2002 : CCE a national education priority area.• 2004 : First National Assessment for C&C.• 2006 : National Statements of Learning• 2007 : Second National Assessment for C&C

CCE : Key Performance Measures/Dimensions

Civics: Knowledge & Understanding of Civic Institutions & Processes - concepts related to civic institutions and processes,democracy, government, law, identity, diversity, cohesion, common good and social justice

Citizenship : Dispositions & Skills for Participation – related to the attitudes, values, dispositions, beliefs,and actions that underpin active democratic citizenship

Providing students with the knowledge, skills, dispositions and opportunities to understand and practice what it means to be a good citizen in a democracy.

Prior’s Dimensions of Citizenship

Dimension 1 : Civic knowledge – understandings about human rights, cultures, organisations, decision making processes, institutions.

Dimension 2: A sense of personal identity – a feeling of self-worth, belonging, efficacy, resilience, personhood.

Dimension 3: A sense of community – locating oneself within a community(s), global connectedness, sense of belonging & the common good.

Dimension 4: Adoption of a code of civil behaviours – empathy, civil & ethical behaviour, concern for the welfare of others, responsibilities.

Dimension 5: A well -informed, analytical and empathetic response to social issues – diversity, environmental, social justice, globalisation.

Dimension 6: Skills to take social actions – collaboration, leadership, decision making,group dynamics, practising.

Head ……… Heart ……… Hands

Getting started in developing CCE policies and practices in your school

….the strongest predictor of student level engagement was found to be school level engagement, that is, a school with a culture of participation of students, of teachers, of parents, of community, reflects back on individual students.

(Thompson, S., 2004, ACER Report)

Stage 1 :

• A whole school community decision- teachers, admin, students, SRC, parents,office staff, cleaners, School Council, local community - to discuss and clearly articulate what they believe to be essential learnings in CCE - the concept of the ‘good citizen’.

• Leadership of this activity to come from the SOSE area with assistance from student action teams.

• This articulation might take the form of a list of Graduate CCE Attributes and/or a School Mission Statement or other forms

Questions to Develop the focus of CCE in Your School

Getting started in developing CCE policies and practices in your school

Stage 2:

• An audit of current policies and practices to identify both strengths and gaps.

School ethos, policies and environment

School programs

Curriculum

Community partnerships & links

Classroom teaching & learning practices

Who will be involved in this process?

Getting started in developing CCE policies and practices in your school

Stage 3 :

• Audit of current school policies and practices against State and National frameworks/documents. School community discussions about the report on the identification of strengths and gaps. Celebration of strengths and development of action plan for gaps.

• Establishing range of instruments and CCE dimensions for benchmarking and measuring future CCE outcomes.

• Timely evaluation by an interested critical friend.

Student/Parent Action Teams & CCE • Students/Parents can identify and work on CCE issues , for

example, survey school community members. They carry out authentic research on the issue, and, using inquiry learning, can develop solutions/action plans, reflect on what they have learned.

• This is community engagement and active citizenship. Student engagement in project decision making and implementation. Enhancement of both civic knowledge, action research skills and positive dispositions. SOSE KLA leadership.

• Examples of other active /CCE related issues : Truancy, student discipline policies, Safety Week, skateboarding, health issues, community perceptions of school, primary/secondary transition.

• Student engagement & links to academic achievement.

• Create Student Action Teams (see Roger Holdsworth ‘Connect’, 6 times a year , write to 12 Brooke Street, Northcote 3070.

Development of strong self-concept

control bonding

meaning

Sense of control: capability, competence, impact on one’s own environment, power over one’s self, use of social/life skills, power to change one’s self and environment

Sense of bonding: with family/peers/community, to feel/be wanted, to feel/be loved, to belong, to have basic needs met

Sense of meaning: to feel important, to feel relevant, self-esteem, sense of dignity/honour, able to accomplish tasksAfter Nancy Phillips, 1990

Observed approaches to CCE (in Victoria)

1. VELS approach - a cohesive whole school approach2. Within a discipline(s), usually Humanities owned 3. A separate subject4. A ‘process’ - linked to interdisciplinary inquiry learning,

communication/ICT skills5. In Personal, Physical & Social Learning - child centred6. Explicitly linked to values education program.7. As a theme - topics like local area, water, human rights.8. As iconic symbolism - ANZAC day, flying flag.9. Activity focused - subtext of SRC, student leadership,

mentoring, buddy program10. Special Events - linked to elections, Olympics.11. Partnerships - community service, work experience.

Resources

• Federal Department of Education, Science & Training A very useful site about civics and citizenship with some thought provoking articles, and a range of links for teachers, patents, experts, resources, PD, units of work, school case studies.

http://www.civicsandcitizenship.edu.au/cce/

• National Goals for Schooling in the Twenty-first Centuryhttp://www.mceetya.edu.au/mceetya/default.asp?id=11576

• National Assessment Domain for CC:http://www.mceetya.edu.au/mceetya/default.asp?id=12182

Resources• National Statements of Learning:http://www.mceetya.edu.au/mceetya/default.asp?id=11893

• Civics and citizenship Education – national websitehttp://www.civicsandcitizenship.edu.au/cce/

• VELS: Civics and Citizenship domainhttp://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/essential/index.html

• VELS: assessment maps and progression pointshttp://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/assessment/index.html

• IEA C & C international studyhttp://www2.hu-berlin.de/empir_bf/iea_e1.html

Contact detailsWarren PriorProject Officer - Civics and Citizenship EducationSocial Education Victoria (SEV) Statewide Resources Centre150 Palmerston Street, Carlton 3053

Tel: 9349 4957

Email: warren.prior@sev.asn.au

Website: http://www.sev.asn.au