The development of apt citizenship education through listening to young people's voices

ISSN： 0965-0792

Source： Educational Action Research, Vol.16, Iss.3, 2008-09, pp. : 321-333

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Abstract

Citizenship Education (CE) and the young people's voice agenda are both enjoying increasing popularity within England at the present time. Clear connections exist between the two, with CE placing an emphasis upon participation and responsible action and the young people's voice agenda advocating democratic procedures for involving young people in the formation of social policy. This paper explores these connections by presenting key findings from a citizenship consultation exercise conducted with 415 young people. It reveals the potential benefits of educators adopting a consultative approach to the implementation of CE. Through listening to the voices of their students, educators are better informed for creating apt, vibrant and engaging learning opportunities within CE. The findings from the consultations also indicate that CE is a necessary educational reform in order to respond to young people's high levels of concern over a wide variety of public life issues, and their interest in making a positive contribution within their communities.