The following is a complete listing of the contents of volumes one through seven of Citizenship, Social and Economics Education: An International Journal (previously published under the name of Children's Social and Economics Education: An International Journal). Full abstracts are provided for each published paper.
Volume 1:1, 1996
New Zealand Social Studies 1961-1995: A View of Curriculum Change.
Author: Mutch, Carol.
Pages: 5 - 13.
Keywords: Curriculum change; New Zealand; Social studies.
Abstract: The development, nature and role of social studies within the curriculum of New Zealand's primary and intermediate schools between 1961 and 1995 is analysed to show the way in which the particular historical circumstances of the country and the broader changes in society have been formative factors. It is argued that changes in New Zealand's economic and political international relationships have led to a reorientation that has been reflected in the design of the curriculum, while changes in the perceptions of the relationship between the descendants of the original Maori population and the newer European immigrant population have led to a re-evaluation of both the social content of the curriculum and of its overall purposes.
What Will You Do When You Grow Up?: The Social Construction of Children's Occupational Preferences.
Author: Hutchings, Meryl.
Pages: 15 - 30.
Keywords: Careers; Children; Occupation; Social construction; Work.
Abstract: Children's occupational preferences can provide insights into the ways in which they learn about adult work in the society in which they live. While in traditional societies occupational knowledge and occupational identity can be seen as developing hand in hand, and children can be seen as legitimate peripheral participants (Lave & Wenger, 1991) in adult work, in industrialised societies children's opportunities to observe and participate in adult work are limited. This article examines the resources which children in such societies use in constructing ideas about their future occupations, and considers whether these ideas can be seen as occupational identities. Finally, implications for the curriculum are examined.
Social and Economics Education in the Japanese Elementary School National Curriculum.
Author: Yamane, Eiji.
Pages: 31 - 44.
Keywords: Curriculum; Economic education; Elementary education; Global environment; Industry; Japan.
Abstract: If we define 'economic education' as being identical to 'teaching economics', then economic education cannot be said to be included in the elementary school curriculum in Japan. However, pupils do learn about economic activities, industries, and economic institutions in social studies. In this article, the meaning of economic education is interpreted in the broad sense, in which pupils think about and understand economic reasoning and consider how people behave in an economic manner. In this sense, economic education is very much practised in Japan's elementary school social studies. The nature of this economic education can be understood from an examination of the national Course of Study. The present Course of Study was announced in 1989 and was put into effect in 1992 for elementary schools. This paper describes both the objectives and the content for each grade in the Course of Study, and illustrates these with examples of economic concepts in the present social studies textbooks and teaching material. It also outlines the new perspectives for economic education that arises through the study of economic globalisation and the conservation of the global environment, and suggests that these will require new forms of economic and social understanding.
Expanding Economic and Industrial Understanding Through History and Technology in an English Primary School.
Authors: Coates,D.; Taylor,P..
Pages: 45 - 50.
Keywords: History; Primary curriculum development project; Technology focus.
Abstract: The article describes a joint History-Technology project undertaken with 10- and 11-year-old pupils in an English primary school with a view to developing the cross-curricular theme of Economic and Industrial Understanding. It involved lecturers from higher education, teachers from primary schools and employees of the Rover Car Company co-operating to produce materials for use in the classroom setting on the topic of the Car Industry. There is a discussion of the principles of the EIU, the project in operation, the links to the specific aims of EIU and the role of EIU in relation to History and Design and Technology in the new National Curriculum.
Values and the Teaching and Learning of European History: A Focal Point for Education for European Citizenship.
Author: Davies, Ian.
Pages: 51 - 60.
Keywords: Citizenship; Education; History; Values.
Abstract: Education for European citizenship is increasingly discussed by policy makers and educationalists. It is often assumed that the form of education for citizenship that would be promoted relates directly to values education, and that the mode of implementation would be through History. It is argued in this article that the meaning attached to the key terms are unclear, and that if positive action is to take place research is needed into the problems and possibilities that are currently posed. Some of the key issues are raised in this article and a way ahead is suggested by describing the sort of research agenda that could assist in the clarification of key terms and in the promotion of good practice.
Children's Ideas about Selected Art and Economic Concepts Before and After an Integrated Unit of Instruction.
Authors: Laney,J.D.; Moseley,P.A.; Pak,L.K..
Pages: 61 - 78.
Keywords: Art education; Concept acquisition; Economic education; Interdisciplinary curriculum; Thinking skills; Transfer.
Abstract: The problem of this study was to explore fifth-graders' (i.e. eleven-year-olds') ideas about selected art and economic concepts before and after an integrated art-economics unit. Seventy children within three classrooms participated in the study. The unit, taught by regular classroom teachers but designed by university-based economic educators in co-operation with university-based art educators, was built upon principles of discipline-based art education (DBAE) and shared curricular integration. Using both written and oral measures, students were pre-tested and post-tested on their understanding and application of art and economic concepts. Pre- and post-unit data were analysed by (a) identifying categories of responses post facto using constant comparison methods, and (b) tallying the number of responses in each category. Results indicated that students increased their understanding of both art and economic concepts. Some misconceptions identified at pre-test were still present at post-test, but these misunderstandings were not directly addressed during instruction. The economic concepts were learned somewhat better than the art concepts, and higher-achieving students learned somewhat more than lower-achieving students. When shown familiar and unfamiliar works of art and asked to state what ideas were expressed, students gave more inferential-interpretive and integrative-applied responses at post-test than at pre-test. The findings support the claim that the coupling of disciplines can facilitate the deep learning of concepts for transfer.
Teaching Economic Reasoning to Children.
Author: Schug, Mark.
Pages: 79 - 87.
Keywords: Economic education; Economic reasoning; Elementary education; Social sciences; Social studies.
Abstract: The author discusses the differing perspectives which the social sciences offer to young people to analyse problems. Perspectives from history, political science and geography are briefly discussed. The author stresses that the child's perspective of the social world differs from the ones offered by social scientists. Following a summary of the economic thinking of children and adolescents, the author stresses that economics also presents student with an important perspective through the application of economic principles involving choice, costs, incentives, rules, trade and future consequences. These economic principles are explained by reference to an example of why the buffalo population in the United States nearly became extinct and why it is now recovering. The author concludes with suggestions for how teachers can bring an economic perspective into the classroom. Readers are provided with three 'economic mysteries' as examples of classroom activities.
Developing Your Own Integrated Art-Social Studies Lessons Using the Discipline-based Art Education Model: A Procedural Guide for Classroom Teachers.
Author: Laney, J.D..
Pages: 88 - 96.
Keywords: Art education; Concept acquisition; Interdisciplinary curriculum; Social studies.
Abstract: This articles serves as an addendum to the previous article, 'Children's Ideas About Selected Art and Economic Concepts Before and After an Integrated United of Instruction'. It is addressed to preservice and inservice teachers and provides a seven-step procedural guide for developing integrated art-social studies lessons using the discipline-based art education model. The seven steps in the process include (1) choosing a social studies concept, (2) locating a work of art, (3) researching the content and context of the image, (4) developing guided discussion questions, (5) developing an art production activity, (6) developing an activity to reinforce the social studies concept, and (7) planning a variety of assessments. Explanations and helpful tips are provided by the author for each step. By following the seven steps, meaningful teaching and learning in both disciplines, art and social studies is assured.
Volume 1:2, 1996
Economic and Public Affairs: An Education for Citizenship in Hong Kong.
Author: Chan, P-k..
Pages: 97 - 104.
Keywords: Civic education; Economic education; Hong Kong; Political education; Social education.
Abstract: Economic and Public Affairs (EPA) has been an integrated study of social, economic and political education for the junior secondary classes in Hong Kong since 1984, the year in which the Sino-British Joint Declaration on the Question of Hong Kong was signed. The Hong Kong students could, from then onwards, have an opportunity to receive an education for citizenship, in preparation for the post-Joint-Declaration era from 1984 till the end of June, 1997. The scope of content in the three-year curriculum was analysed to have covered mainly the aspect of social education, while that for economic and political education was surprisingly insufficient, if a balanced 'education for citizenship' was intended. A revised syllabus with a set of new and rearranged topics in social, economic and political education was proposed, to cater for the needs of Hong Kong students from 1996 to the beginning years of the new Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). It is extremely important and urgent for Hong Kong teachers to commit themselves more actively than at any other time in Hong Kong history since 1841, to facilitate an education for citizenship in schools.
Mini-Society and YESS! Learning Theory in Action.
Authors: Kourilsky,M.L.; Carison,S.R..
Pages: 105 - 117.
Keywords: Curriculum; Economics; Entrepreneurship; Experience-based; Learning theory.
Abstract: This analysis endeavours to demonstrate the mechanism by which incorporation of validated learning principles into a curriculum can maximise its potential effectiveness and impact on both cognitive and affective outcomes. The intent of this demonstration is to highlight for prospective curriculum innovators the importance of having a solid learning theory infrastructure in their target curricula. First, the article describes the experience-based Mini-Society framework and its embedded entrepreneurship curriculum, YESS! (Youth Empowerment and Self-sufficiency). The analysis which follows explores how four research-informed learning theories were incorporated into the foundation of Mini-Society and YESS! and how their incorporation influenced the impact of these programmes.
Children's Talk in Interviews about Gender Discrimination in Adult Occupation.
Author: Francis, B..
Pages: 118 - 130.
Keywords: Children; Discrimination; Gender; Interviews; Mini-society; Occupation.
Abstract: This article focuses on primary school children's constructions of adult occupation in relation to gender, investigating whether or not they construct gender as a source of discrimination in the adult workplace. In order to do so, children were questioned about hypothetical scenarios concerning gender and adult work. By analysing their responses this paper investigates which gendered constructions appeared to prevail, and the ways in which children explained their ideas. Thus, having described the methodology used and research approach taken, the first section of the article begins by providing a figurative overview of children's responses to the different questions. This demonstrates the large number of children, particularly girls, that constructed gender as a potential source of discrimination in some aspects of adult work. The second section examines the various discourses children drew upon in their explanations, and the ways in which they explained their responses. It is argued that children could apply their knowledge of gender issues to that of adult work, and that many drew on discourses of equal opportunity to present discrimination in adult work as unfair.
Local, National and International Constructions of Social and Economic Worlds.
Authors: Vass,J.; Davis,C..
Pages: 131 - 145.
Keywords: Discourse; Ideology; Policy; Socio-economic transactions.
Abstract: In this article we draw together several recent debates which have a bearing on the development of children's socio-economic understanding. Firstly, socialisation: we indicate the problem of defining the development of children's understanding as the progressive disembedment of one area of child's thought from another (e.g. social from economic understanding). We provide examples of how and why socio-economic knowledge has to remain undifferentiated in order for people to carry on with daily life. Secondly, we want to suggest that Western, ideal views of what is meant by 'the social' and 'the economic' have become enshrined at international national levels of policy-making. This has had a profound effect on local social life and particularly on how people understand their transactions with one another. We begin by outlining problems concerning socialisation and introduce the model of discourse translation to examine connections between social worlds. American and Indonesian ethnographic material is reviewed examining the 'embeddedness' of socio-economic thought; the latter additionally draws attention to the effects of international national discourses on local social and economic understanding.
PSE: Fostering a Sense of Community in a New School.
Author: MacPherson, P..
Pages: 146 - 151.
Keywords: Community; Curriculum; Education; Personal; Social studies.
Abstract: This paper outlines the measures put in place by the headteacher of a newly established school in order to ensure that all in the school - new pupils, teachers and other staff - began to share a sense of community. The development of the school's hidden curriculum was at the forefront of the school's whole curriculum planning. To support this, newly appointed teachers were expected to have a grounding in and commitment to the role of personal and social education in the primary school, and one member of staff received a responsibility allowance (and accompanying curriculum budget) for the promotion of Personal and Social Education (PSE) throughout the school. The paper details the work done through circle time and the impact of this strategy on the children's behaviour.
Primary Priorities and Economics Education.
Author: Lawless, S..
Pages: 152 - 161.
Keywords: Economic and industrial understanding; Economics education; Primary education.
Abstract: The attitudes towards economic and industrial understanding of 58 primary student-teachers who had taken a business placement in their final year of training is explored through questionnaires, interviews and assignments. An analysis showed that economic and industrial understanding did not rank highly in their priorities for Primary pupils, confirming the findings of Ross, Ahier & Hutchings (1991). They were, however, interested in business links and industrial simulations as a context for their priorities in teaching of active learning, co-operation and other personal and social skills. Another of their priorities, linked particularly to environmental protection and conservation, was a sense of responsibility and social conscience. A way forward may be to provide teachers with a conceptual framework for economic concepts which is consonant with those priorities and to take advantage of the current interest in moral education and citizenship to refocus economics education on using economic concepts as a tool to extend children's thinking on a wide variety of issues in those areas.
Experimental Economics Applied in the Classroom: Engaging Students in Active Learning.
Author: McKinnon, T.R..
Pages: 162 - 174.
Keywords: Equilibrium; Experiments; Market auction; Private good; Public good.
Abstract: Experimental economics was developed originally for research purposes, but was found to enhance the learning of students engaging in the experiments. This outcome is consistent with learning theory that suggests that active learning is more effective in achieving long-term cognitive gains. Two experiments that actively engage students are described. In the first experiment, students participate in a double oral auction. Each student is a given a card directing him to buy or sell a fictional commodity at a price below a maximum for buyers or above a minimum for sellers. Students then interact in a simulated market seeking to complete a transaction. Deals are recorded and the data is used to construct demand, supply and equilibrium price. Understanding of how markets work results. A second experiment focuses on the free-rider problem of public goods. Students allocate a given fund between a public good for which the return is equally divided and a private good in which all the return goes to the individual. Contributions to the public diminish in successive rounds of allocation even though the percentage return on it is greater. The necessity of taxes to support public goods becomes apparent.
Volume 1:3, 1996
Work, Income and Human Capital: Beliefs and Knowledge of Urban Elementary Schoolchildren.
Author: Phipps, B.J..
Pages: 175 - 193.
Keywords: Elementary education; Human capital; Income; Work.
Abstract: This is a descriptive study of the beliefs and knowledge that eighty 8- to 11-year-old US urban school children from low- to moderate-income households hold about the economic concepts of work, income and human capital. A structured 15-minute, one-on-one interview was used to gather data. The researcher found that by the 3rd grade, the majority of children in the sample visualise themselves in careers often requiring advanced education and training, and even the most economically disadvantaged children optimistic about their futures. While their reasoning about the set of economic concepts was not fully developed, it could be characterised as emerging. Although most of the children did not fully understand the relationship between human capital acquisition and economic success, many showed understanding of the work-income relationship. Curricular implications for reinforcement of these concepts at the elementary school levels is discussed.
Another Framework for the Scope and Sequence of Economic Education in Elementary Schools.
Author: Yamane, Eiji.
Pages: 194 - 207.
Keywords: Basic concepts; Economic education; Japan; Social studies; Units and themes; USA.
Abstract: This paper, firstly, introduces and investigates various important frameworks for the scope and sequence of economic education in the USA and Japan. The author concludes that economic educators in the USA have never made a systematic economic education curriculum at the elementary schools. To the contrary, there were some unofficial economic education curricula at the elementary schools in Japan particularly in the 1960s. However, these unofficial curricula have some ideological biases and are exclusively based on Marxist economics. Secondly, this paper introduces the author's planning framework for the scope and sequence of economic education from the 1st grade to the 6th grade, based on the USA's scope and sequence of the basic economic concepts and the Japanese economic education curriculum theories.
Neo-Conservative Perspectives on Culture and Nationhood and their Impact Upon the School Curriculum in England and Wales.
Author: Crawford, Keith.
Pages: 208 - 222.
Keywords: Culture; Curriculum; Identity; Nationhood; Neo-conservative; Postmodern.
Abstract: This paper explores the ideological perspectives of Neo-Conservatism discourse in England and Wales and the manner in which it has shaped notions of culture and nationhood. The paper presents a critical analysis of recent writing by a coalition of politicians, educators and social commentators who have taken as their themes cultural relativism, the abandonment of a dominant historical narrative and a claimed decline in the spirit of nationhood. The paper attempts to place this debate within a wider context by linking it to similar debates in mainland Europe and the USA.
Economic Education: An Effective Vehicle for Making International Connections.
Authors: Reinke,R.W.; Roach,Lynne; Wood,R.W..
Pages: 223 - 235.
Keywords: Curriculum development; Economic education; Educational trends; International educational exchange.
Abstract: This article describes and evaluates an international educational project involving K-12 and higher education faculty, students and administration from South Dakota and Costa Rica. This project was implemented in order to create an economic education infrastructure in Costa Rica, link the new infrastructure to South Dakota schools, and develop a technology-based curriculum to be piloted in K-12 schools in South Dakota and Costa Rica. The article includes a project history, project description, evaluation of impact, and 'lessons learned'. The project builds a model that has potential to be used in other countries, states and subject areas.
School/Industry Links at the Primary Level: Engaging the Small Business.
Author: Iredale, Norma.
Pages: 236 - 249.
Keywords: Industry; Primary schools; Small businesses.
Abstract: Over the years greater stress has been placed in the UK upon industry links and the work-related curriculum in schools with the emphasis moving away from aspects that are purely vocational. More importantly, this area of work is seen as providing a focus for the encouragement of knowledge and understanding of business and industry, as well as how they operate. More recently there has been a move to encourage partnerships between education and industry. This feature has become common not only in the UK but in a number of other countries in the West which are experiencing the effects of post-industrialism. The links that are encouraged are considered to be of benefit to all those involved, and indications are that participation in activities of this type has increased. This paper considers how industry links with education have evolved over the years and to determine the way in which primary schools have become involved in these activities*. The impact these activities have made and how they stand today in the light of recent curriculum changes is discussed. Information gained from the survey is disclosed and particular attention is drawn to the responses from primary schools. While the return rate overall was relatively low, placing some doubt on the results, the indications are that the data reflects the prevalent situation.
Planning for a Guided Primary Social Curriculum: Early Stages, Featuring TAXIS.
Author: Blythe, W.A.L..
Pages: 250 - 256.
Keywords: Early years; Social curriculum planning; Subject perspectives; TAXIS.
Abstract: Social education for young children, with a moral component, can be achieved by means of a Guided Primary Social Curriculum. The earliest years give most opportunity for work of this kind, before official curricula become more prescriptive. This social curriculum involves starting from children's own experience but proceeding by means of interactive guidance. In an approach of this kind, teachers extend children's perceptions by leading them towards subjects as perspectives, through a sequence of themes of increasing complexity of understanding. An example is suggested: TAXIS. Subsequent age-groups, and implications for teachers are considered.
Volume 2:1, 1997
Allocation of Allowances and Associated Family Practices.
Authors: Kerr,M.K.; Cheadle,T..
Pages: 1 - 11.
Keywords: Children's allowances; Children's socialisation; Cross-cultural; Pocket money.
Abstract: This study presents information on general family practices of providing family allowances or pocket money to children, parental reasons for the provision of allowances, the parental requirements of children for receipt of allowances, and the frequency of conflicts generated around them. Eighty-one parents of elementary school children in a midwest Canadian city completed questionnaires. The respondents used a Likert scale to indicate the importance of parents' reasons for allowances, requirements for allowance allocation and the frequency of conflict over allowance. The factor analyses of these parental reasons for providing allowances were compared to the factors generated by Feather's Australian investigation (1991). In both countries the factor analyses generated three major factors that included similar items. Parental statements of conflict formed two factors based on parental disagreements and children's comparisons with their friends and other families.
Pulling Up the Longest Roots: Extending the Role of Scottish Teacher Education in Undermining Notions of Ethnic Primacy, Exclusivity and Superiority.
Author: Robertson, J..
Pages: 12 - 22.
Keywords: Ethnicity; Identity; Nationalism; Schools curriculum; Teacher education.
Abstract: The process of constructing a national, ethnic or other group identity takes place over long periods of time and typically against a background of other comparable processes. This results in myths of origin and achievement, the denial of internal diversity, the sharpening of external distinctions and the development of negative comparative definitions. These hardened and definitive models of identity reduce group adaptiveness to change, stifle cultural and economic activity and create recurring opportunities for conflict. More sophisticated models which highlight, for example, settlement prior to the arrival of the current group defining itself as indigenous or aboriginal, the continuity of population movement over longer periods, the borrowing of cultural and technological developments from groups whose descendants are now perceived as a threat, may play an important part in countering the negative consequences of simplistic versions. Teacher education, especially in preparation for the education of 5-14-year-olds, who remain highly susceptible to attitudinal change, has a crucial role. This role extends beyond the more obvious areas of professional studies, religious, moral and history where there are significant opportunities to contribute to the development of sophisticated, positive and fluid models of group identity.
The Riddle of Technology and Social Education.
Author: Freese, John.
Pages: 23 - 32.
Keywords: Cultural constructs; Social education; Technology.
Abstract: Heroic stories, legends, and myths have existed, and indeed exist to this very day, in diverse civilisations and within multitudes of cultures. These heroic stories, hereafter referred to as myths, are historically important. People have used the basic elements of myth to structure social interactions, to model civic expectations, and to provide cultural unity. A key element within such myths has been the riddle. For millennia riddles have provided a creative mechanism in which to entertain, while at the same time, and perhaps more importantly, to educate. While numerous myths regarding education currently exist, and vary tremendously from one culture to another, in many ways, regardless of geography or society, very real riddles that transcend culture lie before educators of this very young, particularly social educators of the very young. The purpose of this article is to question, and begin to consider, the role technology should play within social education. To what extent should technology be incorporated within social education? Is technology a neutral concept, in and of itself, or does technology, by its very nature, so impact any society and educational process that it inherently influences social constructs? This article seeks to examine the riddle of technology and social education.
Attempts at Intercultural and Multicultural Education in Estonia.
Author: Krull, E..
Pages: 33 - 46.
Keywords: Citizenship; Intercultural education; Multicultural education; National identity.
Abstract: This study deals with the problems of multiculturalism created by Russian immigration to Estonia during the period of Soviet annexation. The attempt to preserve the idea of a nation, and the need for the integration of immigrants into Estonian society have set a very difficult and ambiguous task for Estonian schools. Before the problems specific to multiculturalism in Estonia are examined, analyses of the historical background and of the concepts of intercultural and multicultural education are provided. An examination of the goals and needs for intercultural and multicultural education shows that the uncertainty of both Estonians and of Russians concerning their future is a key factor interfering with the development of a normal relationship between them. It is concluded that the European ideology of intercultural education is the most suitable way to integrate the Russian population into Estonian society. Furthermore, the difficulties related to the reluctance of Russian immigrants to learning Estonian are more easily surmounted if language acquisition is more tightly related to, and supported by, the development of their national identity.
Teaching the Economics of the Environment.
Author: Schug, Mark.
Pages: 47 - 62.
Keywords: Economics; Education; Environmental education; Market; Private property.
Abstract: This article addresses what is currently taught about the environment in the school curriculum and explains how an economics approach can change it. A recent study in the United States provides evidence supporting the suspicions of many economists that the environmental education in schools is often flawed. The Independent Commission on Environmental Education (1997) concluded that most curriculum materials would be improved by recognising the importance of economic forces. For example, markets provide incentives that influence people's environmental actions and market approaches - as opposed to government command and rule systems - foster co-operation between groups and individuals. The primary contribution of economics to environmental education is recognition of the tragedy of the commons. The tragedy of the commons states that people take better care of things they own and tend to overuse things they do not own. This simple but powerful lesson holds important meaning for environmental education. In contrast non-market solutions leave us only with solutions involving force, expense and guilt. The author concludes by describing a middle-level curriculum published by the National Council on Economic Education, which strives to use market forces to analyse environmental problems.
Volume 2:2, 1997
Education for Democracy: Some Notes on the Swedish Case in a Piagetian Epistemology Tradition.
Author: Eklundh, P..
Pages: 63 - 79.
Keywords: Civic education; Democracy; Education; Piaget; Sweden; Teacher.
Abstract: Almost all Swedish politicans since 1960 honestly believe in the necessity to give pupils real influence over their schools. The first aim with this paper is to give them some sound theoretical support for their conviction that experience of democratic processes is one important precondition for the survival of democracy. The theoretical support is drawn from researchers inspired by Piaget's epistemology. The second aim is to summarise, in spite of the politicians' strong support, the lack of progress and interest in giving more influence to the pupils from the different professional groups inside the school system. Finally the consequences for the concept of democracy is discussed with emphasis on the cognitive dissonance between the politicians' explicit goal and the implicit experiences made by pupils. Ought this to be an invitation to political scientists to politicians - that even if there is strong theoretical support for their standpoint - that it is a mission impossible? Or is it an invitation to political scientists to explore approaches for convincing headmasters and teachers that democracy has to be introduced, since we otherwise cheat our youth?
Tomorrow's Citizens: The Differing Concerns of Girls and Boys.
Author: Holden, C..
Pages: 80 - 92.
Keywords: Citizenship; Environmental education; Future; Gender; Society; Technology.
Abstract: The visions that young people hold for their personal futures and the concerns they have for their community and the wider world are indicators of the values held by today's boys and girls. By documenting such concerns we can begin to understand the kind of society young people wish for and are prepared to work towards for the next century. This article describes recent work with children aged 7, 11, 14 and 18. It looks at their hopes and fears for the future, the kind of future they envisage for themselves and for the world, and the action they take towards creating a better future. Its specific focus is the differences in response between boys and girls which were most evident in relation to environmental concern, political awareness, social and family relationships and the advent of new technology.
Models from Research as Structuring Aids in Civics Teaching and Primary Social Studies.
Authors: Madsén,Torsten; Vernersson,Folke.
Pages: 93 - 112.
Keywords: Advance organisers; Civic education; Conceptual progression; Models; Social studies; Teachers' planning.
Abstract: This article discusses some empirical findings from the use of models in civics teaching and primary social studies. The nature of the models used in research is compared to the usefulness of similar models in the planning of teaching processes. A set of empirical studies, conducted by student teachers using models in primary and secondary schools, are summarised. A more detailed description is given of David Easton's systems analysis model, which has been used as a structuring device for teaching in primary school during an in-service education course. The results are mostly encouraging with regards to the effects on all the groups investigated. The authors argue that models derived from research can be useful even in early primary education, if they are used with care, and serve mainly as a structuring tool for teachers. They also present two models for teachers planning, both based on the use of models and concepts from research as a point of departure for decision-making both before and during the teaching process.
Volume 2:3, 1997
Civic Education in Cyprus - Issues in Focus: A Curriculum Research Study.
Authors: Koutselini,M.; Papanastasiou,C..
Pages: 113 - 129.
Keywords: Citizenship; Civic education; Content analysis; Multiculturalism; Social cohesion.
Abstract: This paper presents a curriculum research study aiming at investigating how citizenship in primary schools of Cyprus is constructed. First, the central issues, concepts and attitudes imported by civic education textbooks are identified and their relationship with the unresolved political problem of Cyprus is examined. Furthermore, the way in which civic education textbooks may affect the roles of the citizens is investigated. Content analysis of the civic education textbooks is performed on the basis of twelve factors which were the issues, concepts and institutions identified from the general aim of education in Cyprus as well as from the aims of civic education in primary schools. Findings are discussed in the light of the citizenship, social cohesion, conflict resolution and multiculturalism debate.
Evaluation of the 'Exercise Your Options' Programme.
Authors: Unruh,R.; Brown,R..
Pages: 130 - 135.
Keywords: Middle school; Nutrition; Programme evaluation.
Abstract: The 'Exercise Your Options' (EYO) programme was designed to help middle school make healthy food and activity choices on a daily basis. The following are intended student outcomes for EYO: (1) Students will recognise that they are unique and will apply their individual perspective to the decisions they make every day that influence their health, specifically their food and activity choices. (2) Students will organise and analyse their food choices and make a personal plan for improvement utilising the Food Guide Pyramid. (3) Students will identify the connection between physical activity, food choices, and good health and then make a plan to include activity in their choices each day. The overall results of this study indicate that students who complete the EYO programme reported changes in their food consumption that were consistent with the goals of the EYO programme. These results suggest that the EYO programme was effective in changing students' reported food use.
Self-efficacy in the Classroom: Developing the Skills of Citizenship.
Authors: Sewell,A.M.; St. George,A.M..
Pages: 136 - 144.
Keywords: Citizenship; Creative problem solving; Self-efficacy; Social studies.
Abstract: This article reflects on a social studies intervention where Creative Problem Solving (CPS) was taught in a class of seven- and eight-year-old children in New Zealand. CPS was used as a framework to develop the skills required for effective citizenship, a key goal in social studies education. This intervention also looked at the important role of self-efficacy in learning to solve and act on social problems. It will be shown that the use of CPS can have positive effects on self-efficacy for problem solving in social studies, and that it can be a valuable framework to involve children in social action. Implications for learning and teaching in the classroom are considered.
How Well Do the US Standards Work Together? An Analysis of the Economic Content of Four National Standards for Social Studies.
Authors: Buckles,S.; Watts,M.; Schug,Mark.
Pages: 145 - 157.
Keywords: Curriculum reform; Economics; Education; Social studies; Standards.
Abstract: The standards movement in the United States - a movement, which is roughly analogous to the National Curriculum movement in the United Kingdom, has now produced national standards for several subject areas. Social studies educators in the United States now possess a set of five national standards. But will these standards make reforming the curriculum more or less difficult? We used the economics content standards published by the National Council on Economic Education as the basis for examining the economic content in the social studies, history, civics and geography standards. Our analysis suggests that important economics content is absent in places where it should be prominent; it is presupposed in places where it should be explicitly identified, and it is sometimes represented inaccurately. If our analysis is correct, then efforts to use the national standards as the basis of curriculum improvement - especially as efforts relate to improving economic understanding - face an uphill task.
History, Civics and National Consciousness.
Author: Fumat, Y..
Pages: 158 - 166.
Keywords: Aims of teaching history; Civic education; European consciousness; National consciousness; Patriotic feeling.
Abstract: To the question - 'What is the purpose of History?' - the author of this essay replies that for a long time its main aim has been to pass on 'une conscience nationale' (a national consciousness), an awareness of nationhood, and that this is what was meant by 'éducation civique', i.e. the creation of good, patriotic citizens. This 'patriotism in the French past', in conjunction with 'Morale et Instruction Civique' (Ethics and Civics), is then put under the microscope and is indeed found to be present but no more so, the author suggests, than can be found in other countries during these times. So what is the answer, especially, in the light of present attempts to create a united Europe? A distinction has to be made, she insists, between 'le sentiment national' (the national feeling), which is not far removed from base, animal instincts and 'une conscience nationale' (a national consciousness), which, while it gives the pupil - from his history lessons - a better, more controlled, understanding of his own culture, must also try to connect him to a broader, more objective view of surrounding countries, and ultimately, the whole world, thereby helping to bring about 'a European and even a global consciousness'.
Volume 3:1, 1998
National Identity: A Question of Choice?
Authors: Crawford,Keith; Jones,M..
Pages: 1 - 16.
Keywords: Curriculum; Globalisation; National identity; Postmodernism.
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to critically explore the traditional image of national identity and to question its validity as a dominant narrative through which individuals define their sense of belonging. The claim is made that children's notions of national identity reflect this narrowness and superficiality and that what is required is a curriculum focus which supports the development of 'intercultural citizenship' as a focus for the development of multiple identities in a postmodern world.
Citizenship: A Challenge to Teacher Education.
Authors: Friel,Val; Fagan,Catherine.
Pages: 17 - 27.
Keywords: Citizenship; Democracy; Scotland; Teacher education; Values.
Abstract: This paper considers issues of democracy and citizenship firstly as they can be historically situated as part of 'Scottish consciousness'. Whilst recognising Scotland's memebership of the unitary state which currently characterises the United Kingdom, it goes on to point up more recent divergences in relation to the political, social and economic contexts of education in Scotland. The course process within which the research was pursued is outlined, and the salient features described. It is argued that in terms of reported behaviour in relation to a range of indices, for example voting behaviour and factual knowledge of policy processes and the machinery of government, the cohort described might legitimately be considered as less than active citizens, and to that extent dubious educators of young citizens. However, a more process oriented approached revealed more hopeful findings at the level of principle and values. Differences in the citizenship debate as between Scotland and England are noted, and implications of the research for teacher education and citizenship education in Scotland are suggested.
Citizenship Education Without a Textbook.
Author: Barr, H..
Pages: 28 - 35.
Keywords: Citizenship; Civics; Curriculum; Social studies; Values.
Abstract: It has always been acknowledged that a free society is dependent on the knowledge, skills and virtues of its citizens and those they elect to office. For this reason, civic education has always been regarded as an essential component of any education system. A new enthusiasm for citizenship education has recently seen the revision, or re-introduction of civics programmes into the schools of Western Europe, North America and Australasia. This paper suggests that while facts are undoubtedly an essential ingredient of any civic education programme, formal instruction in civics and government may not be the best way to teach effective citizenship. In a world that demands confident, informed and responsible citizens, citizenship may be taught best through programmes which develop appropriate skills and encourage appropriate attitudes and values.
Teaching Controversial Issues: The Attitudes of Student Primary Teachers.
Author: Robertson, J..
Pages: 36 - 54.
Keywords: Citizenship; Controversy; Student teacher attitudes; Teacher education.
Abstract: Guidelines for Scottish schools have little to say on the value or otherwise of controversy as a criterion for the selection of topics for teaching. By contrast, the authors of the recently published advisory report on citizenship education for schools in England and Wales and many writers in academic and pedagogical journals are enthusiastic about the importance of such topics as a means to developing democratic citizenship. This study sought to establish the views of beginning teachers in south-west Scotland. Eigty-seven final-year student teachers for the 5-12 age range took part in the study over a period of two years. The data gathered reveal considerable variety in responses but a clear rejection of issues involving personal, face-to-face violence by contrast with zealous enthusiasm for teaching using issues of perhaps equally tagic consequences but of a more impersonal nature such as famine or pollution-associated diseases. The potentially explanatory variables - chronological and spatial or geographic distance - were helpful in understanding some choices but the presence of other variables made interpretation extremely complex and uncertain.
Volume 3:2, 1998
Mental Accounting in Childhood.
Authors: Webley,P.; Plaisier,Z..
Pages: 55 - 64.
Keywords: Economics; Money.
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the development of mental accounts. Of particular concern was how mental accounts function in the everyday life of children and how children deal with money matters. Sixty children from three age groups (5-6, 8-9 and 11-12) were individually interviewed about their financial situation (e.g. sources of money, storage of money, expenditure patterns) and were presented with various financial scenarios. Some of these were children's versions of scenarios devised for adults by Thaler and by Kahnemann and Tversky; others (on windfalls, on money 'lumping', on buying for self versus buying for others) were devised especially for this study. No compelling evidence was found for mental accounting in childhood though there was some indication that the 11-12-year-olds responded in a similar fashion to adults whilst the younger children did not.
Current Perceptions of the New Social Studies Curriculum in New Zealand.
Author: Mutch, Carol.
Pages: 65 - 80.
Keywords: Curriculum development; New Zealand; Social studies.
Abstract: In 1993 The New Zealand Curriculum Framework outlined the key areas of study for all New Zealand schools. One by one curriculum guidelines for the implementation of these key areas were released. The development of the social studies guidelines was a strongly contested process and led to three quite different versions being worked through before the final one was released in late 1997. A recent qualitative study shows that this elongated process was not to the detriment of social studies but rather led to a clarification of what is meant by social studies in the New Zealand context. It also raised the profile of social studies and cemented its place in the New Zealand school curriculum.
Developing Young Children's Understanding of Work as a Social Institution.
Authors: Hall,N.; Robinson,A..
Pages: 81 - 93.
Keywords: Economics; Education; Literacy; Sociodramatic play; Young children.
Abstract: In the UK very young children's experience of 'work' (as in adult paid activity) in school is usually restricted to activities which focus on the more concrete manifestations of a task: the police officer arrests, the baker bakes and the nurse takes temperatures. Learning about work as a socially situated activity is usually felt to be too difficult for children aged as young as five years. However, recent studies in childhood and literacy are showing that young children are able to exert agency and understanding in many complex situations. This papers details part of a case study focusing on five-year-olds in which through a series of activities related to sociodramatic play experiences they gained experience of work and bureaucracy, work and community, and work and economic transaction. Instead of finding these too difficult it was clear that the complexity fully engaged the children and that they began to understand that work was not simply a physical activity but was a social phenomenon which involved regulation, community relationships, and economic understanding.
Entrepreneurship Education in the Fifth Grade's Social Studies Unit in Japan.
Author: Yamane, Eiji.
Pages: 94 - 100.
Keywords: Economics; Entrepreneurship; Fifth grade; Industry understanding; Social studies.
Abstract: As a part of the national curriculum in Japanese elementary schools, there is a social studies unit entitled 'manufacturing industries in Japan' in the fifth grade. This unit is mandatory as are other units in this subject. There is a nationwide non-government educational group, which is pursuing problem-solving social studies education. Some teachers from a prominent elementary school who belong to the group have developed and practised lessons teaching 'manufacturing industries in Japan'. They commonly stressed the entrepreneurship of a manager of a medium-size manufacturing company in the school district. They also stressed that the manager adopted innovative management strategies and industrial technologies. In the lessons students learned entrepreneurship and gained economic awareness. The author shows the processes and the economic educational meanings of the lessons.
New Labour, New Policies: Constructing a Discourse of Citizenship.
Author: Crawford, Keith.
Pages: 101 - 114.
Keywords: Citizenship; Curriculum; Legitimation crisis; New Labour; Politics.
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to examine the development of citizenship education as a curriculum priority within the UK. Employing Habermas' theory of legitimation crisis, the paper places the contemporary enthusiasm for citizenship education within a socio-economic, cultural and political context. The paper argues that current preoccupations with citizenship education contained in Education for Citizenship and the Teaching of Democracy in Schools (DfEE, 1999), stem from the impact of Neo-Liberal concerns with individualism, economic and technological globalisation and the potential fragmentation of contemporary society. The paper explores the principles of education for citizenship and the teaching of democracy in schools and suggests that, as part of New Labour's developing conception of British society, citizenship education asks some fundamental questions of that society.
Volume 3:3, 1998
Teaching Values Education in Schools: The Attitudes, Beliefs and Practices of Teachers in Schools in the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom - Pointers for the Future.
Authors: Stephenson,J.; Killeavy,M..
Pages: 115 - 126.
Keywords: England; Principles; Teachers' views; Values.
Abstract: This paper, arising from a larger research project (Stephenson, et al., 1998), carried out, through questionnaire, interview and observation, with practising teachers, explores their attitudinal dispositions to the values dimensions of teaching and their actual practice with regard to Values Education in their schools and classrooms. Essential principles underpinning their beliefs and attitudes are categorised, stated sources for these are explored and compared and contrasted with the methods they most commonly use in the teaching of Values Education. Differences and similarities between the two contexts are discussed and conclusions as to the relative importance and influence of teachers to the development and delivery of Values Education within present and future teacher education curricula are drawn.
Citizenship Education in Europe.
Author: Davies, Ian.
Pages: 127 - 140.
Keywords: Citizenship; Education; Europe.
Abstract: Following some contextual remarks about the nature of Europe and citizenship, there is consideration of the ways in which teachers and learners are developing the knowledge, skills and dispositions needed for effective citizenship in Europe. Some attention is given to the different levels of citizenship education which can occur and the choices that educators can make when developing relevant programmes.
Education for Citizenship: The Contribution of Social, Moral and Cultural Education.
Author: Holden, C..
Pages: 141 - 150.
Keywords: Citizenship; Moral; Parents; Participation; Social education.
Abstract: Education for citizenship will be a new subject for children in England and Wales from September 2000. It will be mandatory for all pupils in secondary schools from 2002 and recommended for pupils in primary schools. This curriculum will focus on social and moral education, which is well-established in schools, and the newer aspects of community involvement and political literacy (QCA, 1998, 1999). The success of this innovation will depend on the extent to which schools are able to build on work currently undertaken in schools in social and moral education, whilst introducing the two new elements. We know little of what teachers think about these three aspects of education for citizenship, what parents want or indeed how children will respond. We also know little about the work that is currently done in schools in the name of social and moral education, the foundation of education for citizenship. This article sets out to review the various interpretations of education for citizenship, including that recommended by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, and to report on a small-scale research project into teachers' current beliefs and practices in social and moral education. Discussion follows as to whether such practice is an adequate foundation for education for citizenship, and the implications for research and continuing professional development.
Service-learning as Social Education.
Author: Freese, John.
Pages: 151 - 157.
Keywords: Service-learning; Social education.
Abstract: Service-learning is a pedagogical process that actively involves students in social analysis, social criticism and social participation. This effort is not community service - which all too often conveys the impression of rather forcefully providing cheap, low-skill, manual labour for less-than-affluent communities (Institute for Justice, 1994). This effort is not charity - which all too often appears to perpetuate stereotypes, to provide the elite with a false sense of altruism, and to inflict upon the disenfranchised a reinforced sense of despair (Freire, 1964). Rather, service-learning encourages students to speak in their own voice, to research authentic social needs, to be advocates for their social interests, and to serve their communities in the pursuit of social justice. This article examines one methodology that links service-learning to social education.
Volume 4:1, 2000
Values Education in New Zealand: Old Ideas in New Garb.
Author: Mutch, Carol.
Pages: 1 - 10.
Keywords: New Zealand; Social studies curriculum; Values education.
Abstract: In the new social studies curriculum in New Zealand, values exploration is one of the three prescribed ways to approach social studies teaching and learning. This paper provides background discussion of approaches to values education and sets the renewed interest in New Zealand into the historical, social and political context before outlining the particular approach selected by the New Zealand curriculum writers.
Teachers’ Didactic Work: Compulsory School Teachers’ Conceptions of Their Own Civics Teaching.
Author: Vernersson, Folke.
Pages: 11 - 21.
Keywords: Civics; Conceptions; Didactics; Learning; Phenomenography; Teaching.
Abstract: This article summarises and discusses a new research report about Swedish compulsory school teachers’ conceptions of their own civics teaching. This empirical and exploratory study looks upon and presents as problems a variety of didactic questions from a teacher perspective. The main purpose of this work is to increase our knowledge of how compulsory school teachers (grades 1-9) verbalise their own thoughts around their choices concerning the civics’ goals, contents, processes, methods, possibilities and obstacles, and other relevant organisational, planning, evaluation and in-service questions. The results of this study can, hopefully, also constitute some fruitful starting points for professional reflections, discussions and further investigations among teachers and researchers in teacher education.
New Labour, New Citizenship?
Author: Landrum, D..
Pages: 22 - 33.
Keywords: Citizenship; Education; New Labour; Values.
Abstract: In this paper New Labour’s commitment to developing a citizenship curriculum will be reviewed. Characterised by a determination to affect cultural change through the introduction of citizenship education in schools in England from 2002, the Government’s citizenship agenda has been developed in the policy process by the Advisory Group on Citizenship (AGC). An explanation of the work of the AGC and the final report Education for Citizenship and the Teaching of Democracy in Schools will be followed by an analysis of how it dealt with the issue of defining the values to be taught in the citizenship curriculum. The ambiguous text of the report reflects the political sensitivity that the subject demands. An investigation of the main reasons and political appeal of invoking the citizenship ideal will precede a review of the inherent contradictions within the New Labour agenda. The paper seeks to describe the dichotomous position of New Labour’s explicit commitment to implementing a citizenship curriculum, and the present lack of a clear ideology from which to inform the moral basis of such a venture.
The Economic Awareness, Knowledge and Pocket Money Practices of a Sample of UK Adolescents: A Study of Economic Socialisation and Economic Psychology.
Authors: Lewis,A.; Scott,A.J..
Pages: 34 - 46.
Keywords: Economic awareness; Economic socialisation; Pocket money.
Abstract: 179 male and female UK adolescents in full-time education, aged 16-18, answered open-ended questions about basic economics and closed questions about pocket money practices; pertinent background variables were also recorded. There was widespread ignorance about ‘interest rates’ and ‘inflation’ and only 34% knew what the letters ‘APR’ stood for. The results suggest that greater education in economic competency is required. Pocket money practices may indeed have an influence on economic socialisation as those who received pocket money regularly during childhood were economically more competent at the age of 16-18. Adolescents in wealthier, middle class homes were more likely to receive pocket money regularly; payments to boys were more regular than to girls. Suggestions are made for further research.
Designing and Developing a Constructivist National Social Studies Curriculum: An Example from New Zealand.
Author: Barr, H..
Pages: 47 - 64.
Keywords: Constructivism; Curriculum design; New Zealand; Social studies curriculum.
Abstract: This paper describes the design and development of an integrated national social studies curriculum for all New Zealand primary and secondary school students. The development process began in 1995 and the final version of the curriculum was issued to schools at the end of 1997. Design problems were both ideological and pedagogical. Those who favoured a traditional liberal education lobbied for a return to history and geography; post modernists advocated a reconstructionist curriculum which emphasised process rather than product. The design teams needed to satisfy both groups and design a curriculum which emphasised ideas rather than facts, and incorporated thinking, valuing and decision-making in a way which made it easy for teachers to implement these skills in their classrooms.
Volume 4:2, 2000
Bridging the Gap Between the Act of Invention and Creating a Business Venture: An Empirical Investigation.
Authors: Esfandiari,M.; Kourilsky,M.L..
Pages: 65 - 74.
Keywords: Creativity; Economic education; Entrepreneurship; Entrepreneurship education; Invention; Locus of control.
Abstract: This study investigated the effects of Entrepreneur Invention Society - an experienced-based instructional intervention - on children’s knowledge of entrepreneurship and on their perceptions of business locus of control. 193 sixth-grade students, randomly assigned to eight classes, participated in the study; there were 95 males and 98 females. 101 of the participants were in the experimental group and 92 were in the control. The experimental group experienced the curriculum for a total of 30 hours over three months. The goal of the intervention was to integrate the process of invention with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of entrepreneurship. The control group spent an equivalent amount of time participating in science education units on inventors and the invention process. The experimental and control groups were post-tested on knowledge of entrepreneurship and business locus of control, both of which were impacted positively by Entrepreneur Invention Society. No significant gender differences were found. The discussion highlights the importance of instructional interventions that appear to be effective in enhancing entrepreneurship concept acquisition as well as internal locus of control.
The Role of Parental Involvement on Adolescents' Money Management.
Author: Flouri, E..
Pages: 75 - 82.
Keywords: Family structure; Money management; Parental involvement.
Abstract: Based on data from 2,722 adolescents aged 14-18 years in Britain, this study explored whether parental involvement can be associated with adolescents’ money management. Multiple regression analysis showed that low parental involvement contributed significantly and independently to poor money management. Furthermore, the association between parental involvement and money management was the same for sons and daughters. Boys and adolescents from lower socio-economic backgrounds tended to report better money management. The association between parental involvement and money management was weaker when offspring experienced family disruption than when offspring grew up in continuously intact two-parent families.
The New Zealand Technology Education Curriculum: A Critical Analysis of Theoretical Contributions.
Author: Turnbull, W..
Pages: 83 - 91.
Keywords: New Zealand; Technology education; Theoretical contributions.
Abstract: Technology education was formally introduced into the New Zealand Curriculum Framework in 1993. In 1995, the curriculum document Technology in the New Zealand Curriculum was published, becoming compulsory in schools from Year 1 to 13 in 1999. The development of the curriculum was preceded by the development of a definition and rationale for technology education. The whole curriculum development process involved consultation with many people from a variety of fields. Many learning theories informed the development of the document and these are clearly evident in the philosophy of the curriculum statement and its implementation in the classroom. As with the implementation of anything new, issues have arisen. The nature of authenticity in technology education and the associated implications for the professional development of teachers are issues that need to be addressed.
Take the Toys from the Boys? An Examination of the Genesis of Policy and the Appropriateness of Adult Perspectives in the Area of War, Weapon and Superhero Play.
Author: Holland, P..
Pages: 92 - 108.
Keywords: Aggression; Early years; Nursery school; Play; Social learning; Weapons play.
Abstract: This article considers the genesis of a zero tolerance approach to war, weapon and superhero play in early years settings in the UK over the last 30 years. This exploration is located in the development of anti-sexist perspectives and concerns about effective early intervention in the spiral of male violence and it is suggested that this has resulted in the ‘Othering’ of young boys in settings where this policy is enforced. Research challenging assumptions about the connection between war, weapon and superhero play and aggressive behaviour is discussed and the possible benefits of a more relaxed approach to these areas of play, which are more consistent with Scandinavian notions of gender pedagogy, are highlighted.
Early Childhood: Too Important to Get it Wrong.
Authors: Barron,I.; Calcutt,C..
Pages: 109 - 120.
Keywords: Early childhood provision; Early years education and care; Initial teacher training; Scaffolding.
Abstract: Early years issues are high on the political agenda. Recent months have seen a growing awareness that the United Kingdom faces considerable challenges in ensuring that it has sufficient early years workers with appropriate education and training if it is to meet the planned targets for expansion of early childhood provision. Yet many questions still remain in relation to how the country views its children, the values of the education and care that the country provides, and the type and level of qualifications and training that are considered appropriate for early years workers. This paper explores these issues in some detail and closes with a call for attention to a new construction of childhood and a reconsideration of the qualifications and training deemed necessary for early years workers.
Volume 4:3, 2001
Experiencing and Learning Politics by Acting.
Author: Koopmann, F.K..
Pages: 129 - 141.
Keywords: Active learning; Civic education; Experimental learning; Problem-solving.
Abstract: Various social and political developments and conditions seem to result in a process of ‘de-civilization‘ which impedes - rather than facilitates - the project of a human and democratic society. In order to make this project a successful one it is necessary to reclaim citizens as politically acting subjects. The ability to act as enlightened and autonomous citizens will be sustainably acquired by experiencing extensive participation in society and in politics. Public educational efforts, especially civic education, should foster this process of ‘revitalization of citizenship‘ by offering young people meaningful participatory experiences of social and political relevance. The effects of experiential learning presumably depend upon the extent to which the integration of components like subject-, action-, problem-orientation as well as authenticity and political relevance can be accomplished.
Teachers' Perception of the Role of Competition in Their Country: Hungary, Japan and the USA.
Author: Fülöp, M..
Pages: 142 - 158.
Keywords: Competition; Concepts; Hungary; Japan; Teachers; USA.
Abstract: This article focuses on how teachers in different societies, namely a post-socialist society in Europe, an Asian democracy and a Western democracy, perceive and understand the role of competition. Teachers from Hungary, Japan and the USA were asked to answer an open-ended questionnaire. The qualitative analysis of the answers revealed those dimensions and categories of thinking teachers apply when describing the role of competition in their respective societies: the area of competition, the intensity of competition, the emotional evaluation of competition and the consequences of competition (positive and negative). According to the results, American teachers are the most neutral towards competition, they concentrate rather on the directly perceivable aspects of competition, like area and intensity and they do not tend to elaborate on the consequences of competition, especially not on the negative ones. Both Japanese and Hungarian teachers are rather emotional and deep in their approach, referring more often to consequences and the relationship between competition and other social phenomena. While Japanese teachers are rather elaborate in terms of the positive consequences, Hungarian teachers are elaborate in terms of the negative ones. The results are explained by the historical and cultural differences among the three societies.
Mexican Children's and Adolescents' Understanding of Unemployment.
Authors: Diez-Martinez,Evelyn; Sánchez,M.; Miramontes,S..
Pages: 159 - 169.
Keywords: Adolescents; Children; Cognitive development; Mexico; Social understanding; Unemployment.
Abstract: Many psychological studies have shown how adults behave when faced with unemployment but few studies have undertaken research concerning children’s and adolescents’ understanding of the problem. The research presented here addresses this issue. Written questionnaires were completed by 227 subjects, from 12 to 17 years of age, sampled from public and private schools in the city and rural areas of the state of Querétaro in Mexico. Ninety of these subjects were also individually interviewed. Both experimental devices included aspects on the individual and social causes that allow people to get a job, the individual and social causes that are involved in people loosing their jobs, and the consequences and actions that individuals may display under these circumstances. The data shows that the comprehension of individual and social causes for employment and unemployment are related to the age, the cognitive level and the social origin of the subjects. Older subjects were able to understand individual and social causes better than younger subjects, who mainly understood individual and concrete causes. In certain cases differences were found among subjects of city and urban origins because of social variables. The results are discussed in terms of cognitive development related to economic socialization.
Education for Citizenship in Romania and the UK: A Comparison.
Authors: Crawford,Keith; Foster,R..
Pages: 170 - 182.
Keywords: Citizenship education; Curriculum; Identity; Romania; United Kingdom.
Abstract: The article compares the development of Citizenship Education in the United Kingdom and Romania since 1989, the year when Communism was overthrown in several Eastern European countries including Romania (and when, coincidentally, Citizenship made its first formal appearance in the English National Curriculum as a cross-curricular theme). Findings are presented from two case study high schools, one in the UK and one in Romania. Staff and students offer views on the nature of citizenship, on how Citizenship Education might be taught in school and on issues influencing the development of a programme to help students become effective individuals with a commitment to community participation in its broadest sense. The analysis develops the view that, if Citizenship Education is to make a genuine contribution to the creation of a vibrant, participatory democracy in which young people are fully involved, the structures and processes via which Citizenship Education is devised and delivered should themselves reflect the principles of democratic participation.
Do They Know Who They Are? A Survey of Informed Opinion on the Identity Foundation of Soctland's Schoolchildren.
Author: Robertson, J..
Pages: 183 - 190.
Keywords: Children; Curriculum; Identity; Scotland.
Abstract: The notion that there is a crisis of identity formation in the young people of Western Europe and North America has attracted a great deal of attention and speculation from academics, politicians and journalists. Relatively absent from the debate have been the voices of key professionals - head teachers in schools, local authority advisers with remits in personal and social developments, curriculum agency officers and teacher educators. A series of intensive semi-structured interviews with 22 of these informed observers, working across Scotland, produced data that suggests considerable diversity of opinion but, critically, a more relaxed view of the current situation. Few respondents perceived a crisis as such, locating problems in a minority of young people from problematic backgrounds. Most identified areas of concern with regard to the effectiveness of curricula aimed at personal and social development but in many cases these may have reflected the professional standpoints or interests of interviewees rather than any more widely accepted problem.
Volume 5:1, 2002
Education for Human Rights and Citizenship in a Multicultural Society: Making a Difference.
Author: Osler, A..
Pages: 5 - 16.
Keywords: Citizenship; Leadership; Human rights; Race equality; Inspection; Self-evaluation.
Abstract: British society is infused with institutional racism, according to the 1999 Stephen Lawrence Inquiry report. The report's findings and recommendations, which place considerable emphasis on the role which education can play in preventing and addressing racism, were acknowledged and largely accepted by the British Government. Schools face a number of challenges if they are to address institutional racism and meet the needs of all children as citizens in a multicultural society. This paper draws on a human rights framework to consider the potential of citizenship education for enabling race equality internationally. It reflects on the importance of leadership in achieving human rights and racial justice in and through education. In particular, it considers the role of headteachers and other key education professionals in enabling greater race equality and proposes a way forward in which schools can respond positively to external inspection and develop tools for self-evaluation.
Exploring Citizenship and Enterprise in a Global Context.
Author: Humes, Walter.
Pages: 17 - 28.
Keywords: Citizenship; Enterprise; Globalisation; Knowledge economy; Social capital.
Abstract: This paper is in three parts. The first part looks in fairly broad terms at national and international trends that help to explain the current interest in citizenship and enterprise. Here reference is made to globalization, social capital theory and the knowledge economy. It is argued that these trends can be interpreted both positively and negatively. Similar ambivalences are evident in the second part of the analysis which examines the discourses of citizenship and enterprise in their applications to education. Both terms are shown to be subject to various interpretations and this malleability is an important part of their attraction to policy makers. Examples of different approaches to the promotion of economic literacy, as one aspect of enterprise, are discussed. In the third part, consideration is given to the overlapping concerns of groups variously involved in citizenship education, enterprise education, education for personal and social development, civics education and values education. It is suggested that the policy agendas of these various groups, while complicating the work of teachers in the short term, contain the possibility of opening up discursive territory that has been closed off in recent years. Exploring this territory leads to encounters with fundamental questions of meaning and purpose in education. This can serve as a starting point for a challenge to the narrow instrumental approaches to educational policy, which have dominated since the 1980s.
Instilling the Spirit - Learning Strategies for the New Millennium: The Bachelor of Education in Enterprise Education Program.
Author: Luczkiw, E..
Pages: 29 - 43.
Keywords: Enterprise education; Entrepreneurship education; Entrepreneurs; Science of complexity; Learning strategies; Human factor.
Abstract: The mental models, learning styles and world views that people internalized in last century's industrial era no longer serve the demographic, economic, environmental, and social needs of the 21st Century. New learning methodologies and strategies are needed to connect each individual's distinct essence of being with emerging opportunities in today's highly disruptive environment. The Institute for Enterprise Education (IEE) has developed such a curriculum that seeks to connect the learner and facilitator with learning opportunities that enhance their capability and connection with emerging opportunities in the external environment. This paper:
provides a global context for the need to instil the entrepreneurial spirit into every subject field of the educational spectrum;evaluates entrepreneurship as an effective process for interacting with today's highly disruptive global environment;identifies scientifiic paradigms that provide a systems approach to understand the new rules and the nature of interaction (Science of Complexity);synthesizes the theory behind complexity sciences and the practice of entrepreneurship to provide a learning strategy for each individual (Human Factor);develops an evolutionary path for the Bachelor of Education in Enterprise Education program for new student teachers, a symbiotic partnership between IEE and Brock University's Faculty of Education.
Entrepreneurship Education in the 'Period of Integrated Study' in Elementary and Lower Secondary Schools in Japan.
Author: Yamane, Eiji.
Pages: 44 - 52.
Keywords: Enterprise education; Entrepreneurship education; Problem-solving; National curriculum; Integration; Japan.
Abstract: Following a revision of the curriculum in 1998, a new curriculum area, the Period for Integrated Study (PIS), was introduced from April 2002 in elementary and lower secondary schools in Japan. The PIS is the most prominent aspect of the new national curriculum. Based on the statements of the Curriculum Council, the PIS aims to help children develop the capability and ability to discover problems by themselves and to solve those problems properly, to learn how to learn and reason, to develop independent thinking and to cope creatively with problem-solving activities and inquiring activities, and to deepen their understanding of their own lives. The author believes entrepreneurship education should be practised in the PIS and this paper illustrates the possibilities based on research into some schools' trial projects. The discussion also covers the present position of entrepreneurship education in Japanese schools.
Implementing Citizenship Education: Issues from Higher Education in Europe.
Authors: Davies,Ian; Fülöp,M.; Bauer,T.; Krull,E.; Raubik,R.; Roland-Lévy,C..
Pages: 53 - 66.
Keywords: Citizenship; Education; Implementation; Higher education; Europe.
Abstract: Following some brief introductory remarks that make clear the data and literature that have been used to write this paper, there are four main sections. Firstly, there is a description of the courses relevant to citizenship education that are provided in a range of European institutions of high education. Secondly, there is a discussion about what those courses seem to suggest that students following courses in higher education need to know about citizenship. Thirdly, an argument is made for those who work within institutions of higher education to be particularly aware of the significance of two key issues: access to courses and the process which is appropriate for teaching and learning about citizenship. Fourthly, some recommendations are made about what could be done in a cross-European context so as to improve the possibilities of strengthening the potential of citizenship education. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of a number of tensions that may affect the development of citizenship education in Europe.
Volume 5:2, 2002
Anticipating the Citizenship Curriculum Order in Secondary Schools in England: A Snapshot of Teachers' Preferred Purposes and Curriculum Practices.
Author: Evans, Mark.
Pages: 67 - 78.
Keywords: Citizenship education; England; Pedagogy; Secondary education.
Abstract: This paper is based on a small-scale study that explored how a sample of 'specialist' secondary school teachers in England characterise 'educating for citizenship' on the eve of its inclusion into the National Curriculum. This study was carried out between September 2000 and January 2001. Data was gathered from a group of 'specialist' secondary teachers through postal self-completion questionnaires, interviews and classroom observations. Relevant documents, e.g. school-based curriculum documents, Department for Education and Employment (DfEE), and Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) documents, were also considered. Teachers' thinking about essential learnings, curriculum practices, and contextual concerns are described and analysed. Findings suggest general support for the purposes of the Citizenship initiative, preferred yet divergent curriculum practices, and scepticism about implementation. They also suggest a need for a more critical examination of the interconnections among curriculum intentions, pedagogical practices and contextual considerations.
UK and Romanian Students' Perceptions of Democracy and Political Issues: A Cross-Cultural Comparison.
Authors: Foster,R.; Straker,K..
Pages: 79 - 93.
Keywords: Comparison; Cross-cultural; Democracy; Romania; United Kingdom.
Abstract: This article compares UK and Romanian students' perceptions of the concept of democracy and their attitudes to politics and political issues. One of the aims of the study was to compare the students' different levels of political literacy and to explore some of the possible contributory factors to young people's alienation and disengagement from politics. This analysis develops the view that, if citizenship education is to make a genuine contribution to the creation of a vibrant, participatory democracy in which young people are fully involved, then careful consideration needs to be taken account of how the subject is implemented and delivered. The research suggests that the Romanian students' greater political literacy has evolved through experiences that were relevant and personal to them. This highlights the importance of engaging students' interest and enthusiasm in teaching through citizenship education and not just teaching about citizenship.
Delivering Citizenship Through the History National Curriculum in England: A Practical Approach in a Primary School Context.
Authors: Jordan,A.; Taylor,P..
Pages: 94 - 100.
Keywords: Citizenship; Curriculum; History; Social; War.
Abstract: This article considers how citizenship education can be forwarded through the curriculum in a primary school context. It specifically looks at how History teaching through a module of work in the National Curriculum (England and Wales) can be used as a vehicle for developing the concepts inherent within citizenship. It focuses on work with upper Key Stage Two pupils (aged 10 to 11) in a state primary school with a view to seeing how far they can comprehend the necessary knowledge and understanding required to effectively discuss citizenship-related issues. Given that citizenship has been given growing attention by government through the Department for Education and Skills at both primary and secondary level, it was appropriate to undertake a practical approach to questions of delivery.
Enterprise and Entrepreneurship in Higher Education: Building Bridges and Creating Networks.
Author: Iredale, Norma.
Pages: 101 - 114.
Keywords: Enterprise; Entrepreneurship; Exchange; Higher education; Teacher training.
Abstract: This article describes a Canadian/European Community exchange programme between a number of higher educational institutions in Atlantic Canada, Finland, Sweden and the UK. The project, which aimed to promote Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Education in Teacher Education, was undertaken over a three-year period. The principal aim was to share good practice and expertise relating to Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Education at all levels and to promote opportunities for further interaction. The programme involved student and practising teachers and teacher educators. The introduction of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Education requires elements of change on the part of the teacher and the curriculum. Attention is drawn to some of the difficulties that have been raised in relation to such change and describes how similar issues were highlighted by the project. It considers what means might be used to overcome the challenges that are presented in order to engage teachers in Enterprise and Enterpreneurship Education for the benefit of young people.
The Production of TV Lessons in Economics Education for Primary School Children: Principles and Practice.
Author: Lelyuk, Y..
Pages: 115 - 128.
Keywords: Economics education; Television lessons; Ukraine.
Abstract: This article is an attempt to generalise and analyse the experience of producing TV lessons in economics education for primary school children. A series of such lessons was broadcast on the commercial television channel in the Poltava Region of Ukraine. This article deals with the peculiarities of the production process of the economics lessons, their usefulness and their role in the whole system of school economic education.
Volume 5:3, 2003
Story Sacks, Children's Narratives and the Social Construction of Reality.
Authors: Barron,I.; Powell,J..
Pages: 129 - 137.
Keywords: Agency; Discourse; Literacy; Story sacks; Voice.
Abstract: Early literacy development and parental partnership and involvement have become key priorities in the United Kingdom. The two could be seen to be brought together in the use of 'story sacks' as a vehicle for developing the literacy skills of both parents and children. The present small-scale study is concerned with the use of story sacks by parents and young children in a government-recognised Early Excellence Centre in the North West of England, which provides services for children below the age of five, when statutory schooling begins for British children, and their families. The evidence from observing children and their parents engaging with story sacks and from interviews with both children and parents suggests that story sacks are powerful vehicles for allowing children to be involved in adult-supported exploration of language and literacy, whilst allowing them a space in which to voice how they see and understand the world.
A Study of Economic Socialisation: Financial Practices in the Home and the Preferred Role of Schools Among Parents with Children Under 16.
Authors: Lewis,A.; Scott,A.J..
Pages: 138 - 147.
Keywords: Economic socialisation; Personal finance education.
Abstract: 205 male and female parents with children under 16 years of age from a national UK quota sample, completed questionnaires about financial interaction with their children in the home, and the preferred role for schools in enhancing practical economic competencies. Altogether respondents were asked about 19 finance-related activities: most parents engage children in the home by providing pocket money and piggy banks to promote saving, as well as opening bank accounts for them. Financial activities were more common in professional families with older children. Large majorities felt that schools should not only be providing careers advice but also how to manage personal finances, to teach how a bank operates and the appropriate use of credit and debit cards. Parents in semi-skilled and unskilled manual occupations saw less need for schools to provide finance education. These results are discussed in connection with previous literature and with regard to future research and educational practice.
Mexican Children's and Adolescents' Development of Occupational Hierarchy Related to Consumption and Saving.
Authors: Diez-Martinez,Evelyn; Ochoa,Azucena.
Pages: 148 - 163.
Keywords: Cognitive development; Consumption; Mexico; Occupational hierarchy; Saving.
Abstract: Various development studies interested in children's and adolescents' comprehension of social organisation and social inequality, have investigated their conceptions about occupations and the social hierarchy and class levels they imply. Nevertheless, little is known concerning their comprehension about occupational hierarchy related to what adults in distinct occupations are able to consume and save. The aim of this study was to analyse this comprehension in order to understand the development of concepts that interweave in children's and adolescens' societal and economic knowledge. 210 subjects between 6 and 16 years of age from urban and rural social backgrounds were sampled. They were individually interviewed with a task about what four persons with distinct occupations consume and save. Subjects' arguments were analysed and from them, types of answers and categories were elaborated and quantified. The results show age and social background differences related to what subjects think about types of consumption and saving for the occupations that were studied.
Citizenship Education in New Zealand: Inside or Outside the Curriculum?
Author: Mutch, Carol.
Pages: 164 - 179.
Keywords: Citizenship education; Classroom research; New Zealand.
Abstract: Notions of what it meant to be a citizen of New Zealand have mirrored the social and political changes as the country's identity moved from a British colony, through independence to a bi-cultural country with a more global outlook. Citizenship ideals were originally taught through history, geography, moral education and social studies. Although some countries, such as the United Kingdom, have moved to an explicit citizenship education programme, citizenship in New Zealand is currently taught through an integrated curriculum approach supported by participatory pedagogical practices. This article reports on research undertaken to investigate the inter- and extra-curricular opportunities for teaching and learning citizenship in New Zealand schools.
The Role of Education, Community Integration and Arts Enterprise in Developing Entrepreneurial Skills in Adolescent At-Risk Populations.
Authors: Riccio,L.L.; Hannon,C.L..
Pages: 180 - 190.
Keywords: Adolescents; Arts-based learning; Disability; Employment training; Entrepreneurship.
Abstract: WVSA arts connection, a non-profit arts-in-education organisation located in Washington, DC, serving children and youth with special needs for over 20 years, has developed the ARTiculate Employment Training Program, a community-based learning program that combines arts-based instruction and a unique environment with the elements of education, community inclusion and enterprise to promote participant achievement in the transition from school to the world of work. These components form the bases for teaching vocational, social and entrepreneurial skills. This article focuses on the interaction of these components and shows how the arts connect with 'real learning' using an innovative, non-traditional approach - a paradigm-shifting view of employment and social skills development in relation to youth with special needs.
Volume 6:1, 2004
The Rise and Rise of Early Childhood Education in New Zealand.
Author: Mutch, Carol.
Pages: 1 - 11.
Keywords: Curriculum; Early childhood education; New Zealand; Policy.
Abstract: In 1996, the early childhood curriculum for New Zealand was released. Until the education reforms of the 1980s, education for the 'under-fives' and for children of compulsory school aged children (5-16+ year olds) followed separate paths. In the 1980s, the reforms of educational and social services provided an opportunity for the development of a coherent and distinctive statement of the aims and practices of the early childhood movement. This paper outlines the process of development of this statement, describe the final outcome - 'Te whariki: He whariki matauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa. Early childhood curriculum' (Ministry of Education, 1996) - and discusses the impact that it was to have on both early childhood and compulsory education. The author argues that this statement gave credibility to an already vibrant early childhood movement and provided a model of an integrated curriculum that was to stand tall against the trend towards more structured and prescriptive curriculum documents.
Young People's Ignorance about the Topic of Taxation.
Authors: Furnham,A.; Rawles,R..
Pages: 12 - 23.
Keywords: Adolescents; Attitudes; Ignorance;