Special Issue "Civics and Citizenship in Its Global Context"

Guest Editor
Dr. Ruth Reynolds
School of Education, The University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan NSW 2308, Australia
E-Mail: ruth.reynolds@newcastle.edu.au

Dear Colleagues,

Traditional forms of citizenship education, focused on knowledge of formal institutions and processes of civic life, are increasingly challenged by global imperatives such as mass migration of peoples and the need for international cooperation around issues such as environmental, economic and social issues. It is imperative that educators address ways in which global interaction and global concerns have affected citizenship education at the school, tertiary and community level.

This special issue requests paper submissions that address themes such as:

• national identity and citizenship education in a globalised world
• personal/individual identity and citizenship education in a globalised world
• human rights education, peace education, sustainable futures education, conflict resolution education and social justice education and their relationship to citizenship education
• the role of community groups in promoting citizenship education
• the influence of media and ICT accessibility in developing and changing citizenship education

Dr. Ruth Reynolds
Guest Editor

Submission

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. Papers will be published continuously (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are refereed through a peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed Open Access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. For the first couple of issues the Article Processing Charge (APC) will be waived for well-prepared manuscripts. English correction and/or formatting fees of 250 CHF (Swiss Francs) will be charged in certain cases for those articles accepted for publication that require extensive additional formatting and/or English corrections.

David Zyngier Article: Rethinking the Thinking on Democracy in Education: What Are Educators Thinking (and Doing) About Democracy? Educ. Sci. 2012, 2(1), 1-21; doi:10.3390/educ2010001 Received: 9 November 2011; in revised form: 7 December 2011 / Accepted: 19 December 2011 / Published: 21 December 2011 Show/Hide Abstract | Download PDF Full-text (288 KB) Abstract: This paper examines perspectives and perceptions of democracy of pre- and in-service teachers as well as teacher-education academics in Australia in order to develop a robust and critical democratic education. Using data from an on-line survey the paper presents the quantitative analyses, and the qualitative responses of contrasting understandings of democracy, citizenship and the role of education in the promotion and development of an active and thick democracy the paper critiques the neo-liberal (thin) democratic discourse of contemporary Australian academic research that suggests that the Civics and Citizenship Education project only requires some augmentation highlighting issues like sustainability and globalization while ignoring social justice issues. It begins by outlining the concepts of thick and thin democracy, and revisits the state of civics and citizenship education (CCE) in Australia. It is argued that while the pre-service teachers in this study may have a more critical and thicker understanding of democracy that is mirrored in the views of their teacher-education professors, the practicing teachers, on the other hand, have largely adopted the mainstream neo-liberal discourse, presenting a tendency to view democracy in a very narrow or thin way that may impact on their classroom practice. The paper concludes with recommendations related to what a thick democracy might actually look like in school education.

---

Mat Jones, Narges Dailami, Emma Weitkamp, Richard Kimberlee, Debra Salmon and Judy Orme Article: Engaging Secondary School Students in Food-Related Citizenship: Achievements and Challenges of A Multi-Component Programme Educ. Sci. 2012, 2(2), 77-90; doi:10.3390/educsci2020077 Received: 1 March 2012; in revised form: 16 April 2012 / Accepted: 16 April 2012 / Published: 21 May 2012 Show/Hide Abstract | Download PDF Full-text (233 KB) Abstract: Global food security and sustainability, animal welfare, dietary health, and socially just relations of food production have become prominent societal issues. They are of particular concern for young people as their lives progress towards becoming independent consumers and citizens with the capacity to shape food systems of the future. This paper examined the role of the Food for Life Partnership programme in promoting young people’s engagement with food-related citizenship education in secondary schools. The research consisted of a two stage study of 24 English schools. We surveyed experiences and attitudes of students and staff, and recorded programme activities. The results presented a mixed picture. Staff reports and monitoring evidence showed much successful implementation of programme activities across the whole school. However, there was less evidence of positive student behavioral change. Amongst a range of possibilities to account for the findings, one explanation is the organizational challenges of delivering a complex and ambitious programme in the secondary school setting. This suggests the need to develop food citizenship programmes that combine long term institutional reforms alongside focused interventions with specific groups of students. It also highlights the case for ensuring a place for food related citizenship on the educational policy agenda.

---

Alistair Ross Article: Controversies and Generational Differences: Young People’s Identities in Some European States Educ. Sci. 2012, 2(2), 91-104; doi:10.3390/educsci2020091 Received: 22 February 2012; in revised form: 17 April 2012 / Accepted: 18 April 2012 / Published: 21 May 2012 Show/Hide Abstract | Download PDF Full-text (248 KB) Abstract: This article explores how young people (aged 12–18) in the four Visegrad states of Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic are constructing their identities, particularly their sense of attachment to their country and to Europe. This generation is of particular significance, in that they are the first generation for many years to have been born and socialised in wholly independent states that are in a relatively peaceful and stable state. Data was collected through 41 focus groups, conducted in 11 different locations in the different states, and were analysed in terms of the degree of enthusiasm expressed for civic institutions and cultural practices related to the country and to Europe. Two particular areas were identified: the sense of generational difference and the ways in which different groups created “other” communities, within and without their country’s borders. These parameters allow us to distinguish the significant communities that these young people are creating in order to make sense of their social and political worlds.

---

Manuscirpt ID: education-15163
Type of Paper: Article
Title: Investigating Student Use of Technology for Engaged Citizenship in a Global Age
Author: Brad M. Maguth
Affiliation: Social Studies Education, Curricular & Instructional Studies, 032 Zook Hall, Akron, OH 44325, USA; Tel. +1-330-972-6319; Fax: +1-330-972-5209; E-Mail: bmaguth@uakron.edu
Abstract: This study undertook a five month qualitative investigation into technology use amongst twelve high school social studies students in two different sites in the Midwestern United States. This study examined the possible relationship between students’ use of technology and citizenship in a global age. For this study, technology is defined as any computer mediated device, capable of maintaining an electronic network connection. Collecting data through semi-structured student, teacher and parent interviews, classroom observations, online-threaded discussions and document analysis, I triangulated findings, and employed a qualitative approach to generate theory from findings. While the research has come a long way in examining how teachers are using technology in the classroom, there has been very little investigation into how the use of technology by students relates to the civic mission of the social studies in a global age. This study finds that student use of technology allows for new possibilities for engaged citizenship in global age. In using technology, students accessed international news and information, joined global networks, communicated and collaborated with global audiences, and produced digital content for global audiences. Researchers, educators, and administrators might consider these findings in better understanding how the use of technology by students relates to civic attitudes and understandings in a global age.

Type of Paper: Article
Title: From Action Research to the Development of Citizenship
Authors: Teresa Sarmento * and Joaquim Marques
Affiliation: Instituto de Educação-Institute of Education, Universidade do Minho-University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar 4750-057, Braga, Portugal; E-Mail: TSarmento@ie.uminho.pt (T.S.)
Abstract: The social, economic and cultural development in the last decades and the multiple changes that they caused both at family and at educational level have introduced the question of education, as a public action to be undertaken by different educational agents. Including parents and children in the group of active elements in the educational process has not been agreed upon and the argument remains on the possibilities and benefits of educational continuity for children, parents and teachers. In this communication, we shall briefly present three projects grounded on action research, explaining the contexts in which they were developed, their goals, and their research methods. These are: the ATNF Project, developed by parents and technicians of an institution which supports children with brain palsy; the Project School-Parents: Our Practices, developed by a group of primary and kindergarten teachers; and the Rural Schools Project, based on the interaction of rural schools with the communities. A meta-analysis of these projects allowed us to point out the specificities of each one, as well as to find out some common indicators, like: the significance of cooperation as a motor of citizenship for every social actor; the (re-) construction of new ways of social and educational solidarity and the need to unhide child’s participation in this relational process; the (re-) valuation of the teacher as a professional in human being relationshps; and the claim  of education as a common project.