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Teacher Education

Education for citizenship

Content

The purpose of this module is to present some of the main approaches to understand challenges in citizenship education and in European society as well as to enable students to reflect critically about issues that promote social and school inclusion.

We will start addressing the topic of ‘Global Citizenship’, evolution and present. We will go deeper on how Europe shapes ‘Education for the Citizenship’, discussing topics such as intersectionality and otherness, and offering a brief overview of the challenges inclusion suppose. We will examine the gender perspective on education, the educational trajectories of migrants, minorities and refugees in Europe, and the factors of success and narratives of migrant identities and education.

The purpose of education will be contemplated with a reconceptualization of how it can be utilized to equip teachers and students to apply their knowledge and vision to deal with social justice, multicultural groups, foster positive educational paths, engage in strategies to develop pupils’ active role, and promote more inclusive classrooms.

The last part of the module will focus on the classroom dynamics to foster inclusiveness and equity. One of the tools we will use throughout the course is the Index for Inclusion (Booth & Ainscow, 2002) which helps educational agents to analyze the issues addressed during the week in their school placement.

Learning aims

Knowledge aims – students will achieve competencies related to:

  • Education in a globalized world.
  • Global Citizenship Education: Basic concepts, HHRR & Children’s Rights based, intersectionality, gender perspective, diversity, power, …
  • Teaching to transfers: The main concepts, challenges, and debates on inclusive education in contemporary societies. Discourses on identity, otherness and the challenges of inclusion.
  • Trajectories of success. Migrant Integration process and sociocultural inclusion.
  • Concrete, structured and creative, cooperative learning methods in the inclusive classroom.
  • School organization and educational system analysis and policies for inclusion.
  • The index for inclusion as a tool to foster social and school inclusion.

Skills aims – the students can:

  • Analyze and critically interpret the concept of global citizenship and citizenship education in Europe
  • Identify participation in the institution as the key for the citizenship education and socio-political participation
  • Analyze the trajectories of immigrant students to construct an inclusive education.
  • Create an inclusive, creative learning and democratic environment, and incorporate cooperative learning into their teaching.
  • Engage in strategies to enhance pupils’ active role in citizenship classrooms for participation.

Literature

  • Booth, T., & Ainscow, M. (2002). Index for Inclusion. Developing learning and participation in the schools. CSIE. Retrieved from: http://www.eenet.org.uk/resources/docs/Index%20English.pdf
  • Hooks, B. (1994). Teaching to transgress: education as the practice of freedom (New York, NY, Routledge).
    – Council of Europe (2003). Developing a Shared Understanding. A Glossary of Terms for Education for Democratic Citizenship.
    – Eurydice (2012). Citizenship Education in Europe. Brussels: Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA P9).
    – Tarozzi, M., & Torres, C.A. (2016). The priority of global citizenship education (pp. 1-23). In Global citizenship and the crises of multiculturalism. Critical perspectives. London/Sydney: Bloomsbury.
    – Joos, A. (ed.) (2005). CLIEC, a report on the methodology of cooperative learning and its implementation in different European educational settings. Steunpunt Intercultureel Onderwijs, Universiteit Gent.

Assignments

Mandatory tasks and assignments

  • The assignment for this module is a Research Based Project (RBL) which includes an analysis of the schools and the classrooms applying the indicators form Index for Inclusion. Each week one part of this project will be developed, delivered and presented and at the end of the module each group will present the conclusions of the project carried out.
  • During each part of the module, specific individual and group assignments will be developed, such as readings, essays and video productions.

RBL PART 1:

1.1. Indicators of the index to read and use in this part:

  • A.2. Establishing inclusive values
    • A.2.2. ix) Is exclusion understood as a process that takes place in staffrooms, classrooms and playgrounds and may end in separation form the school?
  • B.1. Developing school for all
    • B.1.4. ii) Is the school concerned with the accessibility of all aspects of the school building and grounds, including classrooms, corridors, toilets, gardens, playgrounds, canteen and displays?
  • B.2. Organizing support for diversity
    • B.2.6. ii) Are difficulties with behavior related to strategies for improving classroom and playground experiences?
  • C1.11. All students take part in activities outside the classroom.
    • C.1.11.iv) Can boys and girls take part in single-sex groups if there are activities in which one gender predominates, such as computer club, chess club or choir?
    • C.1.11.v) Are there opportunities for single-sex groups where mixed activities are prohibited on cultural, religious or other grounds?
    • C.1.11.vi) Are children and young people discouraged from monopolizing the space in the playground, for example for football?
    • C.1.11.vii) Do students who are chosen to represent their classes reflect the diversity of students in the school?

1.2. Procedure: Research, explore & learn:

  • Observing school playground: Characteristics; Areas of the playground and segregation; Analysing maps; Exploration of the environment
  • Preparing inquiry: Index for Inclusion; Decide on analytical elements; Self-reflection questions.
  • Listening to the school community: discussion
  • Summarizing results. (vídeo-documentary format or others)

1.3. Key Question for presentation:

  • Is there any segregation and gender domination in the playground?
  • Which areas are occupied by who in regard to gender and other axis?
  • How does the school community face this problem?

RBL PART 2:

2.2. Indicators to be read and use in this part:

  • Select of one indicator from the Dimension A. of the index for inclusion (p.42-54). Read the questions associated to the indicator selected.
    Dimension A: Creating inclusive cultures. A1. Building community (A1.1-A1.7) or A2. Establishing inclusive values (A2.1-A2.7).
    Create a short story of inclusion focusing on the indicator selected with the aim of collecting and interpreting evidence from the school: you should incorporate an image, a key word, an object and the observation of a scene or critical incident.

2.3. Key Question for presentation:

How does we connect the story of inclusion with the indicator (and questions) selected? Which is the relationship between this story and the factors, trajectories and narratives worked during this week?

RBL PART 3:

3.1. Indicators to be read and use in this part:

  • Read the following dimension of the index for inclusion

Dimension B: Producing inclusive policies B2: organizing support for diversity (B2.1 to B2.9)

3.2. Procedure: Research, explore & learn:

  • Observing school and the classroom: Characteristics; class dynamics, organisational culture and climate, management documents
  • Preparing inquiry: read and use Index for Inclusion; Decide on analytical elements, observation, discussions with teachers, head school leaders.
  • Summarizing results. (vídeo-documentary format or others)

3.3. Key questions for presentation:

What school policies does the school apply in relation to the element analyzed? How are they reflected in the school organization and management, and the performance of the teaching staff?

Note: If there are only two project days in this module due to holiday at school, we will suggest students to decide which of the three dimensions they would prefer to analyze based on their interests.

Assessment and grading

This course unit is graded based on students’ participation and performance.

Attendance & Participation (10%)

  • Attendance: Students must participate at least 90% of teaching hours and international practicum.
  • Students must hand in all required tasks and assignments.
  • Students may have an active role during the sessions.

Performance (80%)

  • Quality of work.
  • Capacity of analysis and reflection.

Self-assessment (10%)

  • Self-perception of the learning and skills achieved during the module.