Page 33 - Šolsko polje, XXX, 2019, št. 5-6: Civic, citizenship and rhetorical education in a rapidly changing world, eds. Janja Žmavc and Plamen Mirazchiyski
P. 33
i. elezović ■ civic and citizenship education in croatia ...
functioning of institutions in question (their efficiency, perception of nep-
otism and/or corruption, etc.).
Secondly, Croatian students had below average participation in
youth organizations affiliated with a political party or union (4%), in
a group of young people campaigning for an issue (3%) and in volun-
tary group helping the community (30%). The other finding was that
in all but one country, students’ experience with participation in com-
munity groups or organizations also had consistent and significant pos-
itive associations with students’ expectations of engaging actively in
societal issues as an adult. On average, one (national) standard devia-
tion was associated with a very small increase in expected active polit-
ical participation of little more than half a scale score point (Schulz et
al., 2018). The one country differing from this pattern was Croatia. This
could mean, that taking into consideration that Croatian students who
are not mainly engaged or participating in community activities at pres-
ent, do expect more out of themselves in the future – which could be an
optimistic perspective.
The third distinctive finding from ICCS was in connection to stu-
dents’ attitudes towards European identity as a broader concept and the
European Union as a political and geostrategic concept. Overall, the av-
erage student from European countries participating in ICCS 2016 ex-
pressed a strong sense of European identity. In Croatia, Finland, Italy,
Malta, Norway and Slovenia, the average scores recorded were significant-
ly above the ICCS 2016 European average (Losito et al., 2018). In relation
to attitudes towards the EU, the highest national averages and percentag-
es significantly above the European ICCS 2016 average were recorded in
Croatia, Lithuania, and Malta (Losito et al., 2018). Croatian students ex-
pressed high positive attitudes towards almost all researched dimensions
within the European student questionnaire. For example, for the scale of
cooperation among European countries, the highest average score was re-
corded for Croatia with 54 score points due to the fact that on every co-
operation question, Croatian students showed attitudes above the ICCS
average score.
Conclusions
The new curricular reform that was (re)started in 2019 confirmed the
place of CCE as one of the cross-curricular themes that shall be taught
to all students in every level of pre-tertiary education. In theory, every
teacher should dedicate their time and resources for all seven cross-cur-
ricular themes and find contents overlapping with their own main sub-
ject of teaching. Through meticulous inter-subject planning that should
31
functioning of institutions in question (their efficiency, perception of nep-
otism and/or corruption, etc.).
Secondly, Croatian students had below average participation in
youth organizations affiliated with a political party or union (4%), in
a group of young people campaigning for an issue (3%) and in volun-
tary group helping the community (30%). The other finding was that
in all but one country, students’ experience with participation in com-
munity groups or organizations also had consistent and significant pos-
itive associations with students’ expectations of engaging actively in
societal issues as an adult. On average, one (national) standard devia-
tion was associated with a very small increase in expected active polit-
ical participation of little more than half a scale score point (Schulz et
al., 2018). The one country differing from this pattern was Croatia. This
could mean, that taking into consideration that Croatian students who
are not mainly engaged or participating in community activities at pres-
ent, do expect more out of themselves in the future – which could be an
optimistic perspective.
The third distinctive finding from ICCS was in connection to stu-
dents’ attitudes towards European identity as a broader concept and the
European Union as a political and geostrategic concept. Overall, the av-
erage student from European countries participating in ICCS 2016 ex-
pressed a strong sense of European identity. In Croatia, Finland, Italy,
Malta, Norway and Slovenia, the average scores recorded were significant-
ly above the ICCS 2016 European average (Losito et al., 2018). In relation
to attitudes towards the EU, the highest national averages and percentag-
es significantly above the European ICCS 2016 average were recorded in
Croatia, Lithuania, and Malta (Losito et al., 2018). Croatian students ex-
pressed high positive attitudes towards almost all researched dimensions
within the European student questionnaire. For example, for the scale of
cooperation among European countries, the highest average score was re-
corded for Croatia with 54 score points due to the fact that on every co-
operation question, Croatian students showed attitudes above the ICCS
average score.
Conclusions
The new curricular reform that was (re)started in 2019 confirmed the
place of CCE as one of the cross-curricular themes that shall be taught
to all students in every level of pre-tertiary education. In theory, every
teacher should dedicate their time and resources for all seven cross-cur-
ricular themes and find contents overlapping with their own main sub-
ject of teaching. Through meticulous inter-subject planning that should
31
