Vision versus Pragmatism: Citizenship in Schools in England

1. Vision versus Pragmatism:Citizenship in Schools in England The current state of play December 2007 National Foundation for Educational Research

2. David Kerr • Director • Citizenship Education • Longitudinal Study (CELS) • www.nfer.ac.uk/research-areas/citizenship

3. Report focus • Citizenship as a curriculum subject in schools delivery approach • Timetabling and staffing • PoS coverage • Teaching and learning strategies • Training and development opportunities for teachers • Resources • Assessment approaches • Which models of delivery and teaching learning strategies are most effective?

4. Added value of report • Supports findings in other reports • Adds ‘change over time’ perspective • Provides most up-to-date evidence base • Findings useful for policy-makers and practitioners in current context

5. Data sources Quantitative • Third sweep of cross-sectional survey (2006) • 6360 students (Years 8,10 and 12) • 915 teachers and tutors • 258 school/college/leaders • 287 schools/colleges • Comparison with second sweep cross- sectional (2004)

6. Data sources continued Qualitative • 12 Longitudinal case-study school visits • Interviews with: • Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 students • Citizenship coordinators • Teachers • School leaders/senior managers

7. 6 Key research questions • What are the main models of delivery of citizenship education and the factors which underpin these delivery models? • To what extent do different models of delivery and other school, teacher and pupil effects influence student outcomes? • How far is the delivery process developing and changing as citizenship education becomes more embedded in the curriculum?

8. 6 Key research questions continued • What are practitioners’ views on citizenship education (its implementation, staffing and delivery) and on related training (its availability, quality and applicability)? • What are the models or strands of delivery which appear to be most effective? • How far can the delivery of citizenship education contribute to the wider policy agenda (e.g. participation, personalised learning and community cohesion)?

9. Conclusions – key research questions answered RQ1 What are the main models of delivery of citizenship education and the factors which underpin these delivery models?

10. Citizenship rich driven –students show high levels of efficacy and participation with citizenship education strong in the curriculum Student efficacy driven – high level of student efficacy in school, but weak on extra-curricular activities and citizenship education in the curriculum Citizenship in the curriculum Citizenship in the curriculum Active citizenship in the school and the wider community Curriculum driven– firm on citizenship education in the curriculum, but less strong on participation and inconsistent levels of student efficacy Participation driven –high levels of student participation but students have low levels of efficacy and lack of emphasis on citizenship education in the curriculum Revised typology of school approaches to citizenship

11. RQ1 • 3 main delivery approaches • Chosen through mixture of vision and pragmatism of school-level factors • Citizenship through modules in PSHE (staff experience) • Dedicated/discrete (status/provision) • Cross-curricular (avoid overcrowding) ‘Best fit’ approach to delivery

13. RQ2 To what extent do different models of delivery and other school, teacher and pupil effects influence student outcomes? • Impact – as much about chosen delivery model as how well delivered in practice • Structural, school-level factors • Highly variable student experiences • Weak on ‘political literacy’ • Struggle to balance ‘knowledge’ and ‘more active’ elements

14. Citizenship topics – students views High relevance • Government and politics • Rights and responsibilities • Community • Religious and ethnic groups Low relevance • Voting • Europe • Conflict resolution • volunteering

15. RQ3 How far does the delivery process develop and change as citizenship education becomes more embedded in the curriculum? • Delivery still evolving in all schools • Difference in pace of evolution and impact across schools • Low – average – high priority • Increased challenge (2004-06) lack of status, credibility and visibility of citizenship

16. RQ3 continued • Lack of status linked to structural school factors • Patterns of delivery little changed • Subtle shifts in delivery • ‘best fit’/levelling off

17. Key challenges 6 key challenges • curriculum time in a crowded curriculum • citizenship’s status, credibility & identity • deciding on assessment, recording and reporting • expert and enthusiastic staff to teach • staff expertise • effective links with the local community

18. RQ4 - Practitioners’ views on training

19. RQ5 Which models or strands of delivery appear to bemost effective? Most effective Taught as discrete subject Discrete element of carousel (PSHE, PE, CEQ) Least effective Cross-curricular approach

20. RQ5 - Most effective delivery continued Most effective Small, dedicated team Strong leadership and direction Good lesson plans and resources Each model trade-offs (advantages/disadvantages) Students prefer active approaches

21. RQ6 How far can delivery of citizenship education contribute to the wider policy agenda? • More implicit than explicit • Subtle shifts in citizenship • Active teaching and learning • Increased student voice • Increased use of ICT • wider assessment technologies • Competition with other initiatives

22. Searching questions • if discrete delivery of citizenship is one of the most effective models… why have not all schools chosen it as their preferred delivery method? • if specialist citizenship teachers have a positive impact on the quality of learning and teaching… why have not more schools chosen to appoint or train specialists? • if adopting the GCSE citizenship short course at KS 4 tightens assessment procedures and encourages greater coverage of topics… why have not all schools chosen to introduce citizenship GCSE courses?

23. Searching questions continued • if schools are struggling to cover all the citizenship topics in the programmes of study, particularly the political literacy strand… will the addition of a new fourth pillar or strand on modern British social and cultural history improve this situation? • if schools are currently struggling with the status and visibility of citizenship in the curriculum… how will an emphasis on whole-school provision change this situation?

24. Recommendations How far can delivery of citizenship education contribute to the wider policy agenda?

25. Recommendations DCSF • Initiate a comprehensive review of the state of citizenship in schools. Take any decisions about reviewing and revising citizenship in schools in the light of what the existing evidence base revealsabout actual practice in schools. • Review and make explicit to schools the contribution citizenship can make to wider education policy initiatives (e.g. personalised learning, participation and community cohesion). • Make available resources and practical guidance that encourage and promote the contribution that citizenship can make to the National Strategies.

26. Recommendations QCA • Help schoolsstrengthen standards for citizenshipand develop consistent practicein assessing, recording and reporting student outcomes. • Make explicit thecontribution that citizenship can make to the curriculum as well as to whole-school issues, such as participation and student voice and community links.

27. Recommendations Ofsted • Make sure schools are fully aware of the place and focus that needs to be given to citizenship in section 5 inspections (OFSTED, 2006c) to ensure that schools do not draw a veil over their difficulties in meeting statutory requirements in this area. TDA • Take immediate action to meet the large-scale training needs in citizenship identified by teachers, in relation to assessment, subject knowledge and teaching and learning styles.

28. Recommendations Practitioners • Build more explicit links between the delivery of citizenship in the curriculum and the contribution it can make to wider education initiatives at whole-school and community level in order to increase its status and visibility. Community and support agencies • Recognise the contribution they can make to increasing the status, credibility and visibility of citizenship both within schools and beyond in wider society.

29. ‘the worst thing is learning something which you have no idea why it’s relevant or why you should be learning it, which is what we do quite a lot’ (Key Stage 3 Student) ‘the students enjoy it [citizenship] on the whole, but a lot depends on who is teaching it’ (Citizenship coordinator)

30. ‘no less than a change in the political culture of this country both nationally and locally: for people to think of themselves as active citizens, willing, able and equipped to have an influence in public life and with the critical capacities to weigh evidence before speaking and acting; to build on and to extend radically to young people the best in existing traditions of community involvement and public service, and to make them individually confident in finding new forms of involvement and action among themselves’. Citizenship Advisory Group (1998)

31. 6 Key research questions • What are the main models of delivery of citizenship education and the factors which underpin these delivery models? • To what extent do different models of delivery and other school, teacher and pupil effects influence student outcomes? • How far is the delivery process developing and changing as citizenship education becomes more embedded in the curriculum?

32. 6 Key research questions continued • What are practitioners’ views on citizenship education (its implementation, staffing and delivery) and on related training (its availability, quality and applicability)? • What are the models or strands of delivery which appear to be most effective? • How far can the delivery of citizenship education contribute to the wider policy agenda (e.g. participation, personalised learning and community cohesion)?