Page 199 - Ana Mlekuž in Igor Ž. Žagar, ur. • Raziskovanje v vzgoji in izobraževanju: Digitalizacija vzgoje in izobraževanja – priložnosti in pasti. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut, 2023. Digitalna knjižnica, Dissertationes 46
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https://w w w.doi.org/10.32320/978-961-270-351-6.199-216
Students’ civic participation in Slovenia, Italy
and Croatia in association with students’
socioeconomic background (Secondary
analysis of ICCS 2016)
Špela Javornik, Jure Novak
1. Introduction
Citizenship education has become increasingly vital in modern-day de-
mocracies as it plays a crucial role in promoting active participation and
engagement in democratic societies (Biesta and Cowell, 2012). It is essen-
tial for citizens to be aware of their rights and responsibilities, as well as the
political and social structures that shape their lives. Citizenship education
and civic education are terms often used interchangeably. Citizenship is a
complex concept encompassing diverse attributes and constructs. These di-
mensions involve essential aspects such as civic knowledge, political partic-
ipation, beliefs about democracy, understanding of democratic principles,
and attitudes towards various population groups (Schulz et al., 2016; Stok-
ke, 2017; van Deth, 2007, in E. Treviño et al., 2021). Civic education encom-
passes all the processes that influence people’s beliefs, commitments, ca-
pabilities, and actions as members or potential members of communities
(Köhler et al., 2018). The concept of citizenship education has been wide-
ly recognized as an important component of education systems around the
world (Biesta and Cowell, 2012). Previous research has shown that socioec-
onomic status (SES) is a significant predictor of civic and political partic-
ipation. Individuals from higher SES backgrounds tend to be more politi-
cally engaged and participate in civic activities more frequently than those
from lower SES backgrounds (Putnam, 2000; Verba et al., 1995). This phe-
nomenon is often referred to as the »civic opportunity gap« (Kahne and
199
Students’ civic participation in Slovenia, Italy
and Croatia in association with students’
socioeconomic background (Secondary
analysis of ICCS 2016)
Špela Javornik, Jure Novak
1. Introduction
Citizenship education has become increasingly vital in modern-day de-
mocracies as it plays a crucial role in promoting active participation and
engagement in democratic societies (Biesta and Cowell, 2012). It is essen-
tial for citizens to be aware of their rights and responsibilities, as well as the
political and social structures that shape their lives. Citizenship education
and civic education are terms often used interchangeably. Citizenship is a
complex concept encompassing diverse attributes and constructs. These di-
mensions involve essential aspects such as civic knowledge, political partic-
ipation, beliefs about democracy, understanding of democratic principles,
and attitudes towards various population groups (Schulz et al., 2016; Stok-
ke, 2017; van Deth, 2007, in E. Treviño et al., 2021). Civic education encom-
passes all the processes that influence people’s beliefs, commitments, ca-
pabilities, and actions as members or potential members of communities
(Köhler et al., 2018). The concept of citizenship education has been wide-
ly recognized as an important component of education systems around the
world (Biesta and Cowell, 2012). Previous research has shown that socioec-
onomic status (SES) is a significant predictor of civic and political partic-
ipation. Individuals from higher SES backgrounds tend to be more politi-
cally engaged and participate in civic activities more frequently than those
from lower SES backgrounds (Putnam, 2000; Verba et al., 1995). This phe-
nomenon is often referred to as the »civic opportunity gap« (Kahne and
199
