Urban Pre-service K-6 Teachers’ Conceptions of Citizenship and Civic Education: Weighing the Risks and Rewards

To effectively help urban pre-service teachers to provide civic education opportunities in their future classrooms, teacher educators should know how urban pre-service teachers themselves conceptualize citizenship and civic engagement. Through the research question—how do urban K-6 pre-service teachers currently enrolled in an urban education teacher certification program at a 4-year university construct key concepts and ideologies about citizenship and civic education?—we examined how 15 pre-service teachers understood these concepts. Using three conceptions of citizenship—personally responsible citizen, participatory citizen, and justice-oriented citizen (Westheimer and Kahne in Am Educ Res J 41(2):237–269, 2004)—our analysis demonstrated that urban pre-service teachers’ conceptions of their students’ lives significantly influenced their ideas about civic education in elementary schools. Although the participating pre-service teachers overwhelmingly promoted personally responsible citizenship, we found the participants to heavily weigh developmentally appropriate practice and classroom context when considering the risks and rewards of promoting justice-oriented citizenship in elementary classrooms.     

Newcomer refugee and immigrant youth negotiate transnational civic learning and participation in school

This article analyses the perspectives and experiences of refugee and immigrant secondary school students in the USA who are from the Democratic Republic of Congo to examine the interplay between identity and civic education, and broader socio-political discourses around immigration and inclusion. Data are drawn from a 2-year qualitative study that took place between 2016 and 2018, and included interviews, field notes from classroom observations and recordings of classroom discourse in high school civics classes. Findings are analysed through anthropological framings of citizenship and provide important insight into how marginalisation in one context is experienced in another—how refugee and immigrant youth’s socially conscious identities in resettlement contexts can be borne out of personal and familial histories that transcend geographical borders. In so doing, it showcases how civic learning can involve a dialogic process of self-representation and representation of group memberships. This research emphasises these youth’s inherent agency and resistance to single-story narratives about their lives. It concludes with implications for teachers and learners on incorporating active, critical and participatory transnational citizenship education into the classroom.     

论创新教育的实施

实施创新教育应以老师为主导，以学生为主体。将创新教育落实到实处的标志是，让学生先由传统教育的“学会”进入创新教育初级阶段的“会学”，既而进入创新教育高级阶段的“寻找感觉”。学生进入寻找感觉阶段，知识的传授便成为教师与学生对知识的共享。     

高校开展大学生公民教育的策略思考

对大学生进行公民教育,是适应社会发展和大学生成长特点的需要。为此,高校要高度重视和认真研究大学生公民教育,提高公民教育的科学性;要以人为本,突出公民教育的主体性和针对性;要搭建丰富多彩的公民教育载体,力求公民教育形式的多样性;要打造素质过硬的教师队伍,提高公民教育的实效性,把我国大学生培养成符合国家需要和社会发展的好公民。     

Participatory design in secondary education: is it a good idea? Students’ and teachers’ opinions on its desirability and feasibility

Research has shown the importance of students’ perceptions of a learning environment and the existence of discrepancies between students’ and teachers’ perceptions. Participatory design could be a helpful strategy to reduce such discrepancies and eventually improve the design of learning environments, as it has proven to be effective to optimize design in other domains. The current study investigated the desirability and feasibility of possible use of participatory design in education. Students and teachers in secondary education were interviewed about their opinions on the idea of participatory design of a learning environment. Both students and teachers displayed predominantly positive opinions towards possibly engaging in participatory design, supporting its desirability and feasibility. Practical suggestions for implementation are included.     

“合作学习”在英语教学中的应用

英语学科是义务教育阶段的必修课,也是新时代公民基本素质教育的重要组成部分。在教学中,教师要转变观念,通过合作学习等多种形式的课堂活动,充分体现学生的潜能和主体地位,培养学生的团队意识、合作精神与探索精神,改善英语课堂气氛,促进学生形成良好的非认知品质,大面积提高学生语言学习和实际应用语言的能力。     

Civic education in Ethiopian schools: Adopted paradigms,instructional technology,and democratic citizenship in a multicultural context

After nearly two decades of military dictatorship, democratic civic education has been integrated into the Ethiopian school curriculum. This paper examines the policy–practice concordance in implementing the civic education curriculum based on empirical evidence generated on the philosophical underpinnings, curricular contents, pedagogical approaches, and the role of instructional technology. Data were gathered through a questionnaire survey on 179 randomly selected high school students, key informant teachers, and content analysis of students’ textbooks, teachers’ guides, and official policy documents. The findings reveal that the existing civic and ethical education curriculum is eclectic in its character blending the minimal interpretation of democratic civic education with the inclusive conception of ethno-cultural diversity relevant to multicultural societies. Nevertheless, the manner in which the TV-instruction is used in classrooms is found to hinder interactive learning that is instrumental to nurture democratic and active citizens.     

From “survival” to “leadership”: the practice of civic education in Australia

This chapter describes the study as it was conducted in three public high schools in Sydney: a governmental comprehensive high school, a non-government or private high school, and a government “selective school”. The results suggest that civic education revolved around an identifiable, yet not clearly articulated, set of civic values. For teachers, civic education's main goal was to prepare students for harmonious integration into Australia's highly multicultural society, to maintain and reinforce social cohesion, and, consequently, to foster acceptance of diversity. For students, civic education was an enigma. Although they participated in civic education experiences they could rarely identify them as such. Furthermore, few students could identify subject matter of civic education through what was taught in school subjects.     

The (bio)politics of engagement: shifts in Singapore's policy and public discourse on civics education

This article provides a historical overview of civic educational policy and political discourse in Singapore from 1959 to 2011, focusing on changes in the role attributed to students in the education process. A review of educational programmes and analysis of political speeches reveals that an earlier transmissionist approach that focused on value inculcation and factual knowledge has been supplemented recently by policy and discourse emphasizing student engagement. The authors link their analysis to larger political changes that have been taking place in Singapore. They argue that the push for more participatory forms of civics education parallels an ongoing shift in the ruling party's political ideology from economic pragmatism to a communitarian ideology that emphasizes citizens' responsibility. From the point of view of political rationality, promoting active student engagement in civics education can be seen as governmental efforts to build a strong civil society through early socialization into civic responsibility and voluntarism. Viewed as a technology of power, engagement is also seen as a new biopolitical intervention aimed at regulating political participation.     

Constructions of civic education: Hong Kong teachers’ perceptions of moral,civic and national education*

Various terms have been used to define civic education (CE) in Hong Kong since the colonial era. This has been particularly true since 2011, when CE has been given many names, causing confusion among educators. Mixed methods were employed to examine teachers’ perceptions of different conceptions of CE expressed as moral, civic and national education. The findings indicate that some teachers might not be able to differentiate among moral education, CE and national education. Most teachers contended that national education should be included in CE, while others believed the opposite. Teachers perceived that moral and civic education was more successful than moral and national education in cultivating students to become ‘good citizens’. Teachers’ comprehension of these terms has policy and pedagogical implications. While the study is set within the context of Hong Kong, the findings are valuable to policymakers and educators in other countries seeking to improve CE.     

The Hot Fudge Sundae Quiz and Other Collaborative Ventures: Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning

Because of the recent resurgence of interest in citizenship education caused by world conflicts, the authors studied the perceptions of eighth- and eleventh-grade students regarding citizenship. Their findings yield insight into what students believe to be the attributes of a good citizen; which participatory activities relate to being good citizens; and, finally, what civic activities students see themselves performing ten years later in life.     

参与式教学在远程开放教育中的应用

远程开放教育中各种技术手段的运用能够促进教学过程中参与行为的发生,但远程开放技术手段的多样性、教育过程的开放性、教育空间的分离性也对教学主体的参与行为提出了更高的要求。提高对远程开放教育中参与式教学重要性的认识、完善教师培训机制以提升教师的教学能力、采用多种手段培养远程开放教育中学生的参与能力、推进教学资源建设以便为远程开放教育参与式教学提供外部环境支撑是在远程开放教育中推行参与式教学的重要策略。     

参与式教学在大学心理健康教育中的探索与应用

参与式教学是近些年国内外所倡导的一种全新的课堂教学法。把参与式教学引入大学生·心理健康教育课程课堂有重要意义。参与式教学能摆脱课程教学过程中教与学的“两层皮”,有利于学习知识与解决问题相结合、建立良好的师生关系以及能提高学生的整体心理素质。参与式教学在大学生心理健康教育课程的实施策略主要有案例教学、师生互动、合作学习、情境教学以及网络参与式教学等形式。     

Participatory action research in two primary schools in a rural Tanzanian village: an exploration of factors to cultivate changes in teaching and learning

Access to primary and secondary education in Tanzania has drastically expanded in the past two decades. In response to this success, its ministry is now targeting improvements in educational quality through additional reform. Yet teacher absenteeism, physical abuse, overcrowding, lecture-based pedagogy and a system of accountability based primarily on state and district examinations centered on rote memorization impose great obstacles to students being prepared for future employment and further education. This study draws insights into how traditional teaching and learning methods in one rural village in Tanzania can be changed through examining a collaboratively created intensive after-school program that focused on three content areas and used a participatory action research approach centered on cooperative inquiry. The key elements of the participatory action research approach drawn upon were using a participatory model to create a community of co-learners, designing the curriculum collectively, students collecting data in their communities about identified problems, requiring all participants to contribute, student groups disseminating their findings through presentations and an ongoing support system for teacher development in applying a student-centered pedagogy. Students responded through increased school attendance, confidence, self-esteem and active engagement while teachers incorporated participatory methods of instruction in their classrooms. The factors accounting for the consensus of support by villagers and school and government leaders for the program include community and government buy-in, the creation of a community of learners, consistent follow-up support for teachers and reinforcement of expectations.     

Citizenship with Chinese Characteristics?An Investigation into Chinese University Students'Civic Perceptions and Civic Participation

Citizenship is a complex and multidimensional concept. There has been a tendency to compare traditions of citizenship in the West with those in the East, captured by a stereotype that depicts the West as individualistic and the East as collectivist. The purpose of this study is to investigate what kind of citizenship is exhibited by Chinese university students, including both their civic perception and their civic participation. Using a recently developed distinction between thin and thick citizenship, the findings from both quantitative and qualitative data analysed in this study reveal that Chinese university students tend towards thin citizenship, as they demonstrate positive civic attitudes yet lack strong evidence of participatory citizenship. The paper also discusses the impact of Confucian and other Chinese traditional value systems on typical views of citizenship held by Chinese students, and offers the suggestion that the citizenship education curriculum should incorporate experiential learning.     

学习方式的变革与创新教育

本文从课程改革的时代背景和创新教育的概念入手,指出学生学习方式的变革是创新教育的核心,而教师教学观念的转变是学生学习方式变革的焦点,自主性、探究性、合作性这三个体现学生学习方式转变的纬度,其实现都依赖于教师与学生的共参与。     

学校的本质与公民教育

学校的本质与公民教育密切相连。学校理当是培养公民的场所,也就是具有爱、社群意识和民主特征的共同体。学校应是爱的家园,关爱学生并被学生理解和接纳,这样才能让学生成为有能力关爱他人、充满爱和可爱的人,具备创造民主正义世界的内在动力;学校应是一个道德的、关心每一个人需要的和分享其传统的社群,唯其如此,才能培养学生的公民美德;学校实施民主管理,尽可能地为所有学生提供发展潜能的条件,让学生协商与对话,积极参与改善学校和周边社区环境,才能让学生获得参与民主的经验与能力,成长为民主社会的未来主体。     

建构主义语境中的公民教育——角色参与、模式选择与实践误区

以建构主义为语境,对我国公民教育中教师、学生和家长的角色参与,公民教育的模式选择,以及公民教育的实践误区进行了初步探讨。     

Service-learning in early childhood teacher education: Using service to put meaning back into learning

Service-learning is defined as a teaching/learning method that connects meaningful community service with academic learning, personal growth, and civic responsibility. In this study, conducted at an American University, we describe a cascading model of integrating early childhood teacher education and service-learning for preservice teachers who then implemented the combined model in their field classrooms with young children. Examples of the projects from the two cohorts of 25 and 26 undergraduate students are provided. We demonstrate that service-learning projects provide an instructional avenue for preservice students to teach in an integrated and/or experiential manner in their field classrooms and discuss why service-learning is an appropriate and meaningful strategy to use with preservice teachers and children.     

Teachers ’ conversations about civic education: Policy and practice in Australian schools

Civic education has been a priority for many countries in the Asia Pacific region over the past decade. Governments of different persuasions have recognized the need to provide stability and cohesion in their societies. This has been particularly so at a time when globalization and other forces threaten to fragment the nation state and co-opt its citizens into broader realms of allegiance and commitment. Policy makers have not been slow to come up with new directions for civic education in the school curriculum and the literature now abounds with examples from different countries. Yet missing from this flurry of policy development has been recognition of the role that teachers play in constructing civic education programs at the school level. In the end, it is teachers in classrooms who determine how centralized polices are understood and implemented. Drawing on a sample of Australian teachers, the purpose of this paper is to highlight the role that teachers play in constructing and reconstructing civic education policy in schools and classrooms. Interviews conducted with teachers in four Australian States/Territories have revealed that teachers ’ personal views of civics are more likely to influence them than external policies, their focus is more on citizenship than formal civics programs and that they are reluctant to develop programs where civic knowledge is formalized and disciplined based. The research reported in this paper was funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC). The views expressed are those of the authors and not the ARC.