Bruno Losito

National contexts for civic and citizenship education

The ICCS 2016 assessment framework (Schulz, Ainley, Fraillon, Losito, & Agrusti, 2016) states that any study of civic-related learning outcomes and civic engagement must consider the contexts in which civic and citizenship education occur.

Students’ civic knowledge

ICCS regards civic knowledge as fundamental to effective civic participation. Within the context of ICCS, civic knowledge refers not only to familiarity with the civic and citizenship content described in the ICCS 2016 assessment framework but also to the ability to apply relevant cognitive processes to this content (Schulz, Ainley, Fraillon, Losito, & Agrusti, 2016). Civic knowledge is important in all four of the framework’s content domains.

Introduction to the International Study of Civic and Citizenship Education

Civic and citizenship education aims to provide young people with the knowledge, understanding, and dispositions that enable them to participate as citizens in society. It seeks to support emerging citizens by helping them understand and engage with society’s principles and institutions, develop and exercise informed critical judgment, and learn about and appreciate citizens’ rights and responsibilities.

Civic and Citizenship Framework

The civic and citizenship framework identifies and defines those aspects of cognitive and affective-behavioral content3 that should be considered important learning outcomes of civic and citizenship education. It should be noted that within the context of this framework the term “learning outcomes” is used in a broad way and is not confined to school learning. The way students develop cognitive knowledge and understanding of civics and citizenship, as well as affective-behavioral dispositions towards civics and citizenship, may depend on many factors beyond their learning environment at school (see Amna, Ekstrom, Kerr, & Stattin, 2009; Pancer, 2015; Pancer, & Pratt, 1999). The factors influencing students’ development of these learning outcomes are mapped and described in the contextual framework.