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students’ civic participation in slovenia, italy and croatia ...
tion to make that difference« (p. 30). Civic participation involves taking ac-
tion to improve the well-being of one’s community and developing the nec-
essary skills and attitudes to be effective in this effort. Kahne and Sporte
(2008) define civic participation as »the actions young people take to im-
prove their communities and society at large« (p. 2). Overall, civic partici-
pation of youth involves taking an active role in shaping one’s community
and society, and may include activities such as voting, volunteering, activ-
ism, and advocacy.
2.1 Slovenia, Croatia and Italy
Slovenia, Croatia, and Italy are geographically and historically linked, giv-
en their shared location in the Mediterranean region and all three coun-
tries are members of European Union. Šimenc (2009) notes that in Slove-
nia, there is significant attention paid to the importance of civic education
both within the educational field and in the political sphere. The issue has
been brought to the forefront by politicians and educators due to concerns
about apathy and lack of interest in civic activities among young people.
The intersection of politics and education in Slovenia has generated a fo-
cus on the importance of citizenship education in preparing young people
for active participation in democratic society. The Italian education system
has incorporated civic education into the curriculum, with a focus on pro-
moting students’ knowledge of the Italian Constitution, democratic insti-
tutions, and civil society. According to research by Cicognani et al. (2017),
civic education can have a positive impact on students’ attitudes towards
civic engagement and their likelihood of participating in civic activities.
However, the study also notes that there are variations in the implementa-
tion and quality of civic education across different regions of Italy, and that
socioeconomic factors such as family background can influence students’
access to civic education opportunities.
According to research by Zrinščak and Šakić Velić (2017), civic par-
ticipation among young people in Croatia is influenced by a combination
of individual, social, and contextual factors, including socioeconomic sta-
tus, political attitudes, and the quality of democratic institutions. The study
also suggests that the implementation of civic education in the Croatian ed-
ucation system could be improved to better prepare young people for ac-
tive citizenship.
201
tion to make that difference« (p. 30). Civic participation involves taking ac-
tion to improve the well-being of one’s community and developing the nec-
essary skills and attitudes to be effective in this effort. Kahne and Sporte
(2008) define civic participation as »the actions young people take to im-
prove their communities and society at large« (p. 2). Overall, civic partici-
pation of youth involves taking an active role in shaping one’s community
and society, and may include activities such as voting, volunteering, activ-
ism, and advocacy.
2.1 Slovenia, Croatia and Italy
Slovenia, Croatia, and Italy are geographically and historically linked, giv-
en their shared location in the Mediterranean region and all three coun-
tries are members of European Union. Šimenc (2009) notes that in Slove-
nia, there is significant attention paid to the importance of civic education
both within the educational field and in the political sphere. The issue has
been brought to the forefront by politicians and educators due to concerns
about apathy and lack of interest in civic activities among young people.
The intersection of politics and education in Slovenia has generated a fo-
cus on the importance of citizenship education in preparing young people
for active participation in democratic society. The Italian education system
has incorporated civic education into the curriculum, with a focus on pro-
moting students’ knowledge of the Italian Constitution, democratic insti-
tutions, and civil society. According to research by Cicognani et al. (2017),
civic education can have a positive impact on students’ attitudes towards
civic engagement and their likelihood of participating in civic activities.
However, the study also notes that there are variations in the implementa-
tion and quality of civic education across different regions of Italy, and that
socioeconomic factors such as family background can influence students’
access to civic education opportunities.
According to research by Zrinščak and Šakić Velić (2017), civic par-
ticipation among young people in Croatia is influenced by a combination
of individual, social, and contextual factors, including socioeconomic sta-
tus, political attitudes, and the quality of democratic institutions. The study
also suggests that the implementation of civic education in the Croatian ed-
ucation system could be improved to better prepare young people for ac-
tive citizenship.
201
