CIVED


Civic Education Study

CIVED (1994—2002)

The study was carried out in two phases. In the first phase, researchers in several countries conducted qualitative case studies that examined the context and meaning of civic education. The observations from the case studies were then used to develop an instrument for gathering information about students’ civic knowledge and their civic attitudes and engagement. The content domains covered democracy and citizenship, national identity, and social cohesion and diversity. The instrument consisted of five types of items measuring the students’ knowledge of fundamental principles of democracy; their skills in interpreting political communication; their concepts of democracy and citizenship; their attitudes related to trust in institutions, their nation, opportunities for immigrants, the political rights of women; and their expectations for future participation in civic-related activities. Questionnaires were also administered to teachers and school principals of the standard population of students.

Phase 1 was conducted in 1996 and 1997. For Phase 2, data were collected in 1999 (standard population) and 2000 (optional population).

Target Population

The standard population included all students enrolled on a full-time basis in the grade in which most students aged 14 were found at the time of testing (Grade 8 in the majority of countries). An additional survey of upper secondary school students (mean age 16.6–19.4) was conducted in some countries (optional population).

Participating Educational Systems

Australia, Belgium (French), Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong (SAR), Hungary, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, United States. 

Canada and the Netherlands participated in Phase 1 and Chile, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Norway, the Slovak Republic, and Sweden in Phase 2 only. Israel collected data only for upper secondary students.

Key Findings

  1. In the case of 14-year-olds, the high-performing group of countries included long-standing democracies as well as nations that are consolidating democracy and that experienced massive political transitions in the 1990s. The top-performing country was Poland, followed by Finland, Cyprus, Greece, Hong Kong (SAR), and the United States.
  2. Students in most countries have an understanding of fundamental democratic values and institutions. Upper secondary students have higher levels of civic knowledge than 14-year-olds in their countries, and males outperform females, especially in economic knowledge. In the case of 14-year-olds, gender differences are minimal with regard to civic knowledge but substantial in some attitudes (for example, girls are more supportive than boys of the political rights of women and immigrants).
  3. Aside from voting, students are skeptical about traditional forms of political engagement. However, many are open to other types of involvement in civic life (such as collecting money for social causes, participating in a non-violent protest march, etc.). Students with the most civic knowledge are those most likely to be receptive to participating in civic activities.
  4. Upper secondary students generally feel freer than younger students to discuss ideas and express their opinions in class. Students view participation in students’ government and other student-led activities to solve school problems positively; this is especially true of upper secondary students, who have more experiences of this kind. Upper secondary female students appear to be more engaged and comfortable than do upper secondary males in the environments of schools and community.
  5. Fourteen-year-olds are drawn to television as their source of news. In many countries, the frequency of watching news programs on television is positively associated with higher civic knowledge and intention to vote. The effect of watching TV news on intention to vote was also significant in the case of upper secondary students. It was insignificant, however, in relation to the level of civic knowledge of these students.
  6. Students, and especially students nearing the end of their secondary education, trust news media more than they trust government-related institutions. Older students also have less positive feelings about their countries.
  7. Home environment and educational resources have a substantial impact on civic knowledge. Schools that model democratic practice are those schools most effective in promoting civic knowledge and engagement.

Major Publications

Phase 1

Steiner-Khamsi, G., Torney-Purta, J., & Schwille, J. (Eds.). (2002).

New Paradigms and Recurring Paradoxes in Education for Citizenship.

Oxford: Elsevier Science Ltd.

 

Torney-Purta, J., Schwille, J., & Amadeo, J.-A. (Eds.). (1999).

Civic Education Across Countries: Twenty-Four National Case Studies for the IEA Civic Education Project.

Delft: IEA.

 

Phase 2

Amadeo, J.-A., Torney-Purta, J., Lehmann, R., Husfeldt, V., & Nikolova, R. (2002).

Civic Knowledge and Engagement: An IEA Study of Upper Secondary Students in Sixteen Countries.

Amsterdam: IEA.

 

Torney-Purta, J., Lehmann, R., Oswald, H., & Schulz, W. (2001).

Citizenship and Education in Twenty-eight Countries: Civic Knowledge and Engagement at Age Fourteen.

Delft: IEA

 

For more information, please contact

http://www.wam.umd.edu/~iea/

 

 

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29.08.2007 || URL: http://www.iea.nl/cived.html