The Study

Professors John Schwille, assistant dean of international studies in education, and Jo-Ann Amadeo of the University of Maryland report in this book chapter on the cross-national analysis of the role of schooling in civic education.

Findings

The authors base their analysis on 22 national case studies that were part of the Second International Civic Education Study, one of a long series of cross-national studies of learning, teaching and curricula carried out by the International Association for the Evaluation of Education Achievement. To organize their analysis, the authors identified five key sets of policy issues for civic education reforms: (1) civic education as a problem of curriculum development, (2) civic education as a problem of pedagogy and student participation, (3) civic education as a problem of school organization and student rights, (4) civic education as a problem of school response factors outside of school, and (5) civic education as a problem of systemic reform. For each of these policy areas, they identified national cases that are similar with regard to specific policy options. For example, the first policy area was divided into three different policy options: the nonexistence of civics as a separate subject matter (Australia, Bulgaria, England), civics as a separate subject matter (Cyprus, Romania, Netherlands), civic education in other established school subjects such as history (Hungary, Lithuania), or in a combination of subject matters, most typically, history, religion, language, literature and geography (Greece). The case studies show that civic education in schools throughout the world remains problematic. In spite of some countries and many individual schools, civic education has not found a secure and major place in the curriculum as a formal subject matter. For example, there are no countries in the study where a major part of the curriculum, together with substantial teacher preparation and appropriate assessment, are explicitly devoted to civic education for all students before the age of 15. Moreover, civic education reform goes against the grain of conventional educational practice in its emphasis on attitudes and participatory behavior and in calls for students who have rights to and responsibilities for self-governance. The comprehensive nature of this agenda has not been widely accepted and thus is not a priority of either teacher education or student assessment efforts. There is wide agreement in the case studies that knowledge about democracy is necessary (but not sufficient for citizenship), that students learn about democracy by experiencing democracy, and that ideally schools should be models of democracy. But there is little indication that this is the case. The authors conclude that unless civic education is embedded in overall school reform, it is doomed to remain either marginal or ineffective. The authors argue that the democratic school will not be built on the efforts of civic education experts alone.

What It Means to You

This chapter raises many questions for school officials in the U.S. and elsewhere. What is the nature of the curriculum in civic education in your district: is it a coherent preparation for citizenship or a largely accidental and fragmented message passed on in various subject matters?  Does the preparation for citizenship have the high status as subjects such as math and science?

For More Information

Schwille, J. & Amadeo, J. (2002). The paradoxical situation of civic education in school: Ubiquitous and yet elusive. In Steiner-Khamasi, G., Torney-Purta, J & Schwille, J. (Eds.), New Paradigms and Recurring Paradoxes in Education for Citizenship. Amsterdam: Elsevier.

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