Page 280 - Štremfel, Urška, ed., 2016. Student (Under)achievement: Perspectives, Approaches, Challenges. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut. Digital Library, Documenta 11.
P. 280
participation are not statistically significant between them. This means that
the groups do not differ regarding their anticipated future informal political
participation, e.g., whether they will speak to others about their political and
social issues, write letters to the editor or take part in a forum on social or po-
litical issues and (likely) join an organisation with political or charitable goals.
While students with the lowest civic knowledge achievements are less
sure that they will vote in future elections, they are more convinced that they
will take part in political activities in the sense of supporting a political cam-
paign, party membership, standing at a local election. It is especially notewor-
thy that they are less sure about going to the elections.
Instead of a Conclusion
– Implications for Educational Policy and Practice
When civic education is discussed in the context of formal education, it is de-
fined as knowledge, attitudes and engagement, i.e. acquiring the required
280 skills for participating in society. According to Gril, Klemenčič and Autor (2009:
131) the Slovenian educational system, both legally and in its curricular dispo-
sitions and lesson plans, includes the teaching of students for active inclusion
into society, not only regarding the subject-matter of individual subjects but
also within the framework of student participation in classes, shaping class-
room and school community and planning as well as implementing joint ac-
tivities in a school.12
12 The research results are based on the report of a study, carried out in the municipality of Ljubljana,
on a sample of primary and secondary-school students as well as university students (Gril and Kle-
menčič, 2008). The study, carried out in schools in Ljubljana, the Slovenian capital, has shown that
teachers who combine social interaction with participation, solidarity and critical thinking, tend
to involve students more frequently in civic education and that the teachers’ opinion on social en-
gagement in general is a positive one. These teachers are furthermore inclined towards fostering
and teaching the youth to participate in society while retaining the view that political and social
participation are equally important. Inadequate participation of youths in solving social issues is
mainly attributed by primary/lower-secondary school teachers to the youths’ lack of interest and
the lack of the skills to participate, while upper-secondary school teachers believe that a larger role
is played by social obstacles in the participation of the youth, such as unequal treatment, lack of
support by adults etc. According to study findings, the youth could see teachers as a source of sup-
port and a role model in social participation (Gril, Klemenčič and Autor, 2009: 132). A study in Ljublja-
na’s upper secondary schools discovered that social activity is the major factor in political partici-
pation and the second most important factor in students’ participation in voluntary activities. For
university students, however, social understanding and being informed did not significantly influ-
ence their participation. This is why it is extremely important that primary and secondary education
shape youths’ knowledge, as their own (relatively scarce) experiences of being active within society
would be hard to come by (ibid.: 134). Social participation in the classroom is, of course, limited by
the framework of hierarchic relations in a school which also plays a major role in determining rela-
tionships in this institution. Nevertheless, a school’s main duty in training the youth to become ac-
tive citizens is to provide quality knowledge, teach critical thinking and behaviour in accordance
with the accepted social norms and values (ibid.: 132, 133).
student (under)achievement: perspectives, approaches, challenges
the groups do not differ regarding their anticipated future informal political
participation, e.g., whether they will speak to others about their political and
social issues, write letters to the editor or take part in a forum on social or po-
litical issues and (likely) join an organisation with political or charitable goals.
While students with the lowest civic knowledge achievements are less
sure that they will vote in future elections, they are more convinced that they
will take part in political activities in the sense of supporting a political cam-
paign, party membership, standing at a local election. It is especially notewor-
thy that they are less sure about going to the elections.
Instead of a Conclusion
– Implications for Educational Policy and Practice
When civic education is discussed in the context of formal education, it is de-
fined as knowledge, attitudes and engagement, i.e. acquiring the required
280 skills for participating in society. According to Gril, Klemenčič and Autor (2009:
131) the Slovenian educational system, both legally and in its curricular dispo-
sitions and lesson plans, includes the teaching of students for active inclusion
into society, not only regarding the subject-matter of individual subjects but
also within the framework of student participation in classes, shaping class-
room and school community and planning as well as implementing joint ac-
tivities in a school.12
12 The research results are based on the report of a study, carried out in the municipality of Ljubljana,
on a sample of primary and secondary-school students as well as university students (Gril and Kle-
menčič, 2008). The study, carried out in schools in Ljubljana, the Slovenian capital, has shown that
teachers who combine social interaction with participation, solidarity and critical thinking, tend
to involve students more frequently in civic education and that the teachers’ opinion on social en-
gagement in general is a positive one. These teachers are furthermore inclined towards fostering
and teaching the youth to participate in society while retaining the view that political and social
participation are equally important. Inadequate participation of youths in solving social issues is
mainly attributed by primary/lower-secondary school teachers to the youths’ lack of interest and
the lack of the skills to participate, while upper-secondary school teachers believe that a larger role
is played by social obstacles in the participation of the youth, such as unequal treatment, lack of
support by adults etc. According to study findings, the youth could see teachers as a source of sup-
port and a role model in social participation (Gril, Klemenčič and Autor, 2009: 132). A study in Ljublja-
na’s upper secondary schools discovered that social activity is the major factor in political partici-
pation and the second most important factor in students’ participation in voluntary activities. For
university students, however, social understanding and being informed did not significantly influ-
ence their participation. This is why it is extremely important that primary and secondary education
shape youths’ knowledge, as their own (relatively scarce) experiences of being active within society
would be hard to come by (ibid.: 134). Social participation in the classroom is, of course, limited by
the framework of hierarchic relations in a school which also plays a major role in determining rela-
tionships in this institution. Nevertheless, a school’s main duty in training the youth to become ac-
tive citizens is to provide quality knowledge, teach critical thinking and behaviour in accordance
with the accepted social norms and values (ibid.: 132, 133).
student (under)achievement: perspectives, approaches, challenges
