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Initial findings from International Civics and Citizenship Education Study released Initial findings from the largest international study on civic and citizenship education ever conducted were released in Gothenburg, Sweden on 29 June. The International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) involved more than 140,000 Grade 8 students in more than 5,000 schools from 38 countries. The main survey was conducted in 2008 in southern hemisphere countries and 2009 in the northern hemisphere. While Australian students did not participate in the study, the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) acted as the International Coordinating Centre for the study. ACER worked with the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) in the United Kingdom and the Laboratorio di Pedagogia sperimentale (LPS) at the Roma Tre University in Italy, to conduct the study under the auspices of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). ACER Deputy CEO (Research) Dr John Ainley acted as project coordinator and Dr Wolfram Schulz as research director. The study aimed to determine how well prepared students are to be citizens in a fast-changing world and how much they have learned about civics through their formal education. It reports on student knowledge and understanding of civics and citizenship as well as student attitudes, perceptions and activities related to civics and citizenship. A report on the initial findings was launched by Seamus Hegarty, IEA Chairman, at a media conference streamed live on the internet. The study’s initial findings include: Different approaches to civic and citizenship education are evident in the participating countries. These approaches include providing a specific subject, integrating relevant content into other subjects and including content as a cross-curricular theme. Students from Finland, Denmark, Korea and Chinese Taipei showed the strongest results in civic knowledge. Substantial gaps in achievement were found between the higher and lower achieving countries as well as within countries. In almost all countries, girls outperformed boys in their knowledge and understanding of civics. Fifteen participating countries had taken part in a previous IEA study of civic education – known as CIVED – in 1999. In seven of those 15 countries there has been a significant decline in civic content knowledge since 1999. In only one (Slovenia) has there been a significant increase. On average about 60 percent of students across participating countries expressed trust in their national governments, the media and people in general, whereas 75 per cent of students had at least quite a lot of trust in schools. Political parties were typically the institution least trusted and on average half of the students did not express any preference for a political party. A strong endorsement of gender equality was found. However, females were more supportive of gender equality than males in all participating countries. Speaking at the launch the study’s research director Dr Wolfram Schulz of ACER stressed that the study was about more than creating international league tables of achievement. “Ranking countries is just one aspect of the study to allow for comparisons between countries,” he said. “The comparative nature of the study provides insights and identifies patterns that are not obvious from national surveys.” Dr Schulz noted that the study had collected rich datasets that will allow further reports and analyses over time, not only by those who conducted the study but by other researchers as well. “We are very optimistic that further interesting results will come out of this study,” Dr Schulz said. The report, Initial Findings from the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study, is the first in a planned series of reports from ICCS. This initial report will be followed later this year by an extended report and detailed analysis of student knowledge and attitudes. There will also be three regional reports for Asia, Europe and Latin America focused on their specific civic and citizenship issues. Further information about ICCS, including the report on initial findings, can be found at http://www.iea.nl/icces.html « Back to eNews
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Initial findings from the largest international study on civic and citizenship education ever conducted were released in Gothenburg, Sweden on 29 June.

The International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) involved more than 140,000 Grade 8 students in more than 5,000 schools from 38 countries. The main survey was conducted in 2008 in southern hemisphere countries and 2009 in the northern hemisphere.

While Australian students did not participate in the study, the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) acted as the International Coordinating Centre for the study. ACER worked with the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) in the United Kingdom and the Laboratorio di Pedagogia sperimentale (LPS) at the Roma Tre University in Italy, to conduct the study under the auspices of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). ACER Deputy CEO (Research) Dr John Ainley acted as project coordinator and Dr Wolfram Schulz as research director.

The study aimed to determine how well prepared students are to be citizens in a fast-changing world and how much they have learned about civics through their formal education. It reports on student knowledge and understanding of civics and citizenship as well as student attitudes, perceptions and activities related to civics and citizenship.

A report on the initial findings was launched by Seamus Hegarty, IEA Chairman, at a media conference streamed live on the internet. The study’s initial findings include:

Different approaches to civic and citizenship education are evident in the participating countries. These approaches include providing a specific subject, integrating relevant content into other subjects and including content as a cross-curricular theme.

Students from Finland, Denmark, Korea and Chinese Taipei showed the strongest results in civic knowledge.

Substantial gaps in achievement were found between the higher and lower achieving countries as well as within countries.

In almost all countries, girls outperformed boys in their knowledge and understanding of civics.

Fifteen participating countries had taken part in a previous IEA study of civic education – known as CIVED – in 1999. In seven of those 15 countries there has been a significant decline in civic content knowledge since 1999. In only one (Slovenia) has there been a significant increase.

On average about 60 percent of students across participating countries expressed trust in their national governments, the media and people in general, whereas 75 per cent of students had at least quite a lot of trust in schools.

Political parties were typically the institution least trusted and on average half of the students did not express any preference for a political party.

A strong endorsement of gender equality was found. However, females were more supportive of gender equality than males in all participating countries.

Speaking at the launch the study’s research director Dr Wolfram Schulz of ACER stressed that the study was about more than creating international league tables of achievement.

“Ranking countries is just one aspect of the study to allow for comparisons between countries,” he said.

“The comparative nature of the study provides insights and identifies patterns that are not obvious from national surveys.”

Dr Schulz noted that the study had collected rich datasets that will allow further reports and analyses over time, not only by those who conducted the study but by other researchers as well.

“We are very optimistic that further interesting results will come out of this study,” Dr Schulz said.

The report, Initial Findings from the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study, is the first in a planned series of reports from ICCS. This initial report will be followed later this year by an extended report and detailed analysis of student knowledge and attitudes. There will also be three regional reports for Asia, Europe and Latin America focused on their specific civic and citizenship issues.

Further information about ICCS, including the report on initial findings, can be found at

http://www.iea.nl/icces.html

Initial findings from International Civics and Citizenship Education Study released