Preparing Students to Teach about Democracy and Civil Society in Early School Age: Civic Education as a Model

Aleksandra R. Trbojević, Biljana Jeremić

Abstract


This paper examines the views of various authors and the relevant educational legislation, highlighting the importance of education in fostering democracy and civil society. This should help young people to face the many social challenges they will encounter. Serbian educational policies are geared towards equipping students with the skills necessary for participating actively in a democratically organised society. Consequently, this paper explores how faculties that educate future primary school teachers in Serbia address this objective. The aim is to present a model for introducing theoretical and practical content related to democracy and civic values through the subject of Civic Education at the Faculty of Education in Sombor. A syllabus analysis reveals that the course is grounded in a pertinent theoretical framework and compares recent research findings on the state of democracy and participation in education. It also identifies a variety of practical student activities within the course. The model is improved by the inclusion of content related to children’s rights, particularly their participation in school,
and by the systemic strengthening of the democratic teaching and practical skills of the instructors involved in the course. The paper concludes that the democratic development of societies requires civic education to be continuously and comprehensively included across all levels of schooling.


Keywords


teacher education; content on democracy and civil society; Civic Education course syllabus; younger school-age children

Full Text:

PDF

References


Anđelković, Nataša, Katarina Barišić, Sanja Bulat, Miloš Cvetković, Suzana Deretić, Dejana Milijić Subić, Snežana Milošević Ješić, Tatjana Mišović, Malina Popović, Violeta Vlajković Bojić (2022), Smernice za integraciju

referentnog okvira kompetencija za demokratsku kulturu u odabranim programima nastave i učenja, Zavod za unapeđivanje obrazovanja i vaspitanja, Savet Evrope.

Аvramović, Zoran (ur.) (1997), Demokratija, vaspitanje, ličnost, Institut za pedagoška istraživanja, Beograd

Baker, Fiona S. (2013), ˝Responding to the challenges of active citizenship through the revised UK early years foundation stage curriculum˝, Early Child Development and Care, 183(8), 1115-1132.

Barrett, Martyn (2020), ˝The Council of Europe’s Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture: Policy context, content and impact˝, London Review of Education, 18(1), 1–17.

Banks, James A. (2014), ˝Diversity, group identity, and citizenship education in a global age˝, Journal of Education, 194(3), 1-12.

Baucal, Aleksandar, Tamara Džamonja Ignjatović, Zoran Pavlović, Kaja Damnjanović (2019), Punoletstvo i zrelost građanskog vaspitanja: Evaluacija efekata, Građanske inicijative, Beograd

Brett, Peter, Pascale Mompoint-Gaillard, Maria Helena Salema (2009), How all teachers can support citizenship and human rights education: a framework for the development of competences, Council of Europe.

Council of Europe Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education (2010), Recommendation CM/Rec(2010)7.

Djui, Džon (1996), Vaspitanje i demokratija, Obod, Cetinje

Evans, Mark (2006), ˝Educating for Citizenship: What Teachers Say and What Teachers Do˝, Canadian Journal of Education / Revue Canadienne de l’éducation, 29(2), 410–435.

Donaldson, Graham, Milica Grahovac, Suzana Kirandžiska, Milica Jelić, Saša Milić, Gordana Miljević i ostali (2013), Nastavnička profesija za 21. vek: unapređenje nastavničke profesije za inkluzivno, kvalitetno i relevantno obrazovanje – ATEPIE, Centar za obrazovne politike, Beograd

Đurišić-Bojanović, Miroslava (2002), ˝Građansko vaspitanje kao predmet˝, u: Zoran Avramović i Slavica Maksić (ur.), Izazovi demokratije i škola, Institut za pedagoška istraživanja, Beograd, 65-80.

Džamonja Ignjatović,Tamara, Aleksandar Baucal, Zoran Pavlović, Kaja Damjanović (2019), Punoletstvo i zrelost građanskog vaspitanja, Građanske inicijative, Beograd

Gundogan, Dragana, Mladen Radulović, Milan Stančić (2016), ˝Građansko vaspitanje u Srbiji – perspektive nastavnika i učenika srednjih škola˝, u Marko Kovačić i Martina Horvat (ur.), Od podanika do građana: Razvoj građanske kompetencije mladih, Institut za društvena istraživanja, Zagreb, 201–221.

Guo, Linyuan Brennan (2014), ˝Preparing teachers to educate for 21st century global citizenship: Envisioning and enacting˝, Journal of Global Citizenship & Equity Education, 4(1), 1–23..

Haglund, Björn (2015), ˝Pupil’s opportunities to influence activities: a study of everyday practice at a Swedish leisure-time centre˝, Early Child Development and Care, 185(10), 1556-1568.

Harcourt, Deborah, Johanna Einarsdottir (2011), ˝Introducing children’s perspectives and participation in research˝, European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 19(3), 301-307.

Holenveger, Džudit, Edina Krompak (2018), Priručnik za nastavnike – Aktivnosti za podršku svim učenicima u školi i učionici, UNICEF, Srbija

Jerome, Lee (2016), ˝Interpreting children’s rights education: Three perspectives and three roles for teachers˝, Citizenship Social and Economics Education, 15(2), 143–156.

Joksimović, Snežana, Slavica Maksić (2006), ˝Obrazovanje za demokratiju u školskom kontekstu˝, Pedagogija, 61(4), 441–452.

Karadimou, Maria, Kostis Tsioumis (2021), ˝Preparing Early Childhood Students for Future Active Citizens˝, Journal of Studies in Education, 11(3), 23-40.

Kovač-Cerović, Tinde, Vidosava Grahovac, Dejan Stanković, Nada Vuković, Suzana Ignjatović, Danijela Šćepanović, Gordana Nikolić, Savica Toma (2004), Kvalitetno obrazovanje za sve – izazovi reforme obrazovanja u Srbiji, Ministarstvo prosvete i sporta, Beograd

Krulj, Jelena, Emilija Marković, Ivana Simijonović (2023), ˝Specijalne kompetencije u funkciji unapređenja profesionalnog rada nastavnika˝, Društvene i humanističke studije, 2(23), 655-666.

Krstić, Ivana (2024), Analiza silabusa predmeta: Postupak pred Evropskim sudom za ljudska prava pravnog fakulteta u Banjaluci sa preporukama, Vijeće Evrope

Louis Karen Seashore (2003), ˝Democratic schools, democratic communities: Reflections in an international context˝, Leadership and Policy in Schools, 2(2), 93-108.

Lundy, Laura, Ursula Kilkelly, Bronagh Byrne, Jason Kang (2012), The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child: A Study of Legal Implementation in 12 Countries, Centre for Children’s Rights, Queens University, Belfast

Minić, Vesna (2016), ˝Vaspitanje i obrazovanje za demokratiju u Republici Srbiji˝, Zbornik radova Filozofskog fakulteta u Prištini, XLVI(2), 255-272.

Mujić, Senada (2022), ˝Zastupljenost nastavnih predmeta i programskih sadržaja u inicijalnom obrazovanju pedagoga usmjerenih na razvoj kompetencija za partnerstvo sa roditeljima˝, Društvene i humanističke studije,

(21), 521-540.

OECD (2015), Education Policy Outlook 2015: Making Reforms Happen, OECD Publishing, Paris

O’Sullivan, Michael, Karen Pashby (eds.). (2008), Citizenship education in the era of globalization: Canadian perspectives, Sense Publishers, Rotterdam

Pavlović, Zoran, Tamara Džamonja Ignjatović, Aleksandar Baucal, Kaja Damjanović (2020), Građansko vaspitanje i verska nastava – podjednako (ne)važni?, Građanske inicijative, Beograd

Pravilnik o planu nastave i učenja za prvi ciklus osnovnog obrazovanja i vaspitanjai programu nastave i učenja za prvi razred osnovnog obrazovanja i vaspitanja (2020), Službeni glasnik Republike Srbije - Prosvetni glasnik,

/2020.

Pravilnik o nastavnom planu i programu predmeta Građansko vaspitanje – saznanje o sebi i drugima za prvi razred osnovne škole (2004), Službeni glasnik Republike Srbije – Prosvetni glasnik, br. 5/2001 i 93/2004.

Pravilnik o stepenu i vrsti obrazovanja nastavnika koji izvode obrazovnovaspitni rad iz izbornih predmeta u osnovnoj školi (2013), Službeni glasnik Republike Srbije – Prosvetni glasnik, br. 11/2012 i 15/2013.

Reimer, Kristin, Lorna R. McLean (2009), ˝Conceptual clarity and connections: Global education and teacher candidates˝, Canadian Journal of Education, 32(4), 903-926.

Rogers, Graham (2011), ˝Learning‐to‐learn and learning‐to‐teach: The impact of disciplinary subject study on student–teachers’ professional identity˝, Journal of Curriculum Studies, 43(2), 249–268.

Savet Evrope (2023), Reference Framework Of Competences For Democratic Culture - Guidance document for higher education ( Referentni okvir kompetencija za demokratsku kulturu – smernice za visoko obrazovanje),

Council of Europe Publishing, Strasbourg

Savet Evrope (2020), Referentni okvir kompetencija za demokratsku kulturu. Knjiga 1. Kontekst, koncepti i model; https://rm.coe.int/rfcdc-serbianvol1/1680a209a2.

Sjølie, Ela (2014), ˝The role of theory in teacher education: reconsidered from a student teacher perspective˝, Journal of Curriculum Studies, 46(6), 729–750.

Smith, Alan, Susan Fountain, Hugh Mclean (2002), Građansko vaspitanje u osnovnim i srednjim školama u Republici Srbiji – evaluacija prve godine,2001–2002, i preporuke, Publikum, Beograd

Schulz, Wolfram, John Ainley, Julian Fraillon, Bruno Losito, Gabriella Agrusti, Valeria Damiani, Tim Friedman (2024), Education for Citizenship in Times of Global Challenge: IEA International Civic and Citizenship

Education Study 2022 International Report, Springer Nature, Switzerland

Tibbitts Felisa (2015), Curriculum development and review for democratic citizenship andhuman rights education, UNESCO, Council of Europe, OSCE/ODIHR and Organization of American States, Paris, Strasbourg, Warsaw and Washington DC; http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0023/002343/234386e.pdf; Pristupljeno: 14. 12. 2024.

Trbojević, Aleksandra (2023), Poznajem, razumem i živim svoja prava: sadržaji o pravima deteta u školskom kontekstu, Pedagoški fakultet, Sombor

Trbojević, Aleksandra, Edita Borić, Vlasta Hus, Svetlana Španović (2023), ˝Implementation of content related to children’s rights in schools: How to teach them? — perceptions of future teachers in Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Education˝, Citizenship and Social Justice, 18(2), 131-146.

Trbojević, Aleksandra, Milica Gajić, Svetlana Španović, Olivera Gajić (2022), ˝Children’s Right to Participation: How Do Students See It?˝, The International Journal of Children’s Rights, 30(2), 473-498.

UNESCO (2016), Leading Better Learning: School Leadership and Quality in the Education 2030 Agenda: Regional Reviews of Policies and Practices, UNESCO: Paris http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/

HQ/ED/pdf/Abstract-Leadership.pdf.

UNICEF (2014), Child Rights Education Toolkit: Rooting Child Rights in Early Childhood Education, Primary and Secondary Schools, UNICEF Private Fundraising and Partnerships Division, Geneva

United Nations (1989), Convention on the Rights of the Child (Konvencija o pravima deteta), United Nations: New York; https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-rights-child

UNESCO (2013), Global Citizenship Education: An emerging perspective. Outcome document of the Technical Consultation on Global Citizenship Education, UNESCO, Pariz

Uredba o organizovanju i ostvarivanju verske nastave i alternativnog predmeta u osnovnoj i srednjoj školi (2001), Službeni glasnik RS, br. 46/2001.

Urinboyev, Rustamjon, Per Wickenberg, Ulf Leo (2016), ˝Child rights, classroom and school management: A systematic literature review˝, The International Journal of Children’s Rights, 24(3), 522–547.

Vlahović, Eleonora (ur.) (2020), Priručnik za nastavnike Građanskog vaspitanja u prvom ciklusu osnovnog obrazovanja i vaspitanja, Misija OEBS-a u Srbiji i Zavod za unapređivanje obrazovanjai vaspitanja, Beograd

Weber, Nadya, Mark Evans, Angela MacDonald, Leigh Anne Ingram (2013), ˝Educating for the global dimension of citizenship in Canadian schools: A snapshot of teachers’ understandings and practices˝, Education Review, 3(2), 12-13.

Zakon o osnovama sistema obrazovanja i vaspitanja (2025), Službeni glasnik Republike Srbije – Prosvetni glasnik, br. 88/2017, 27/2018 – dr. zakon, 10/2019, 6/2020, 129/2021, 92/2023 i 19/2025.

Zakon o osnovama sistema obrazovanja i vaspitanja (2023), Službeni glasnik Republike Srbije, Prosvetni glasnik, br. 88/2017, 27/2018 - dr. zakon, 10/2019, 27/2018 - dr. zakon, 6/2020, 129/2021 i 92/2023.

Zavod za vrednovanje kvaliteta obrazovanja i vaspitanja (2013), Građansko vaspitanje kao obavezni izborni predmet u osnovnoj i srednjoj školi: Evaluacija programa i kompetencija nastavnika, Beograd

Zhao, Yong (2010), ˝Preparing globally competent teachers: A new imperative for teacher education˝, Journal of Teacher Education, 61(5), 422-431.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.51558/2490-3647.2025.10.2.899

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


ISSN: 2490-3604 (print) ● ISSN: 2490-3647 (online)

Društvene i humanističke studije - DHS is under the Creative Commons licence.