Civics and Citizenship Curriculum

The Australian Experience

Professor Murray PrintUniversity of Sydney

Chulalongkorn University, BangkokJuly, 2013

The curriculum challenges for Australia

We require:• World-class curriculum• 21st century curriculum for global citizens• National curriculum• Consensus amongst jurisdictions [context]

Australian contextAustralia is a federal, not unitary state.Education is the constitutional responsibility

of the six states and two territoriesThere has been two previous attempts at a

national curriculum – both failed – political Schooling and curricula across the

Australian states are similar.

Why a national curriculum?• Consistency for student - population movement is

20% annually (interstate; international;..)• Resource savings – common materials• University entry – based on same content• Standards raised across country [lift weaker]• Similarities between existing state curricula• National and global citizens (National Goals)• National unity enhanced in global context• Political ideology (Labor Government)

Who? ACARA• A Commonwealth statutory authority;

accountable to the Ministerial Council • Operational since May 2009. Its tasks:

– Developing a national curriculum (F-12)– Managing a nation-wide testing program (National

Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy)– Reporting information on schools through the My

School website

Curriculum development supportACARA has responsibility for developing the

Australian Curriculum. All Australian Governments [9] agreed to a national curriculum.

ACARA has the resources to support development:1.Staff with expertise in curriculum development.2.Contracting lead writers of content areas3.Contracting advisory groups for each area.4.Website with facilities for public comments.

Curriculum Development Process

The ACARA curriculum development process involves four phases:Phase 1: Curriculum ShapingPhase 2: Curriculum WritingPhase 3: ImplementationPhase 4: Curriculum Evaluation and Review

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Curriculum considerations for ACARA

• Teachers, when planning their teaching, will consider current levels of learning of individual students and the different rates at which students develop

• Schools are best able to decide how to deliver the curriculum

• Scope for education authorities and/or schools to offer additional learning opportunities [40%] beyond those provided by the Australian Curriculum [60%]

• Teachers will use a range of different assessment strategies to ascertain what each student has learnt

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Phase One: Curriculum Shaping

Lead writer and advisors: Civics and Citizenship CurriculumProfessor Murray PrintUniversity of SydneyAdvisors: David Brown, Education Services AustraliaProfessor Peta Goldburg, Australian Catholic UniversityPat Hincks, Victorian Curriculum and Assessment AuthorityDr Harry Phillips, Parliament of Western AustraliaProfessor Alan Reid, University of South AustraliaDr Libby Tudball, Monash University

Civics and Citizenship background

• Civics and citizenship education has been recognised as an important aspect of Australian education over many years

• Discovering Democracy 1997-2004

• Statements of Learning 2003

• National Assessment Program 2003+

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Civics and Citizenship: goals• Civics and citizenship was identified in the Melbourne Declaration

(2008) as a curriculum area to be developed within the Australian Curriculum, as part of the Humanities and Social Sciences learning area

• It states that by the end of secondary schooling: All young Australians become successful learners, confident and creative individuals, and active and informed citizens.

• The important attributes of ‘active and informed citizens’, include that students:-appreciate Australia’s social, cultural, linguistic and religious diversity -understand Australia’s system of government, history and culture-are committed to national values of democracy, equity and justice -participate in Australia’s civic life and are responsible global citizens

Initial Advice paper for ACARAConsists of:• Context • Rationale and aims• Key principles • Organisation and structure• Proposed knowledge, understanding and skills• Phases of schooling• General capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities as

they relate to Civics and Citizenship Curriculum

ConsultationThe initial advice paper sought advice from

interested people and key stakeholders (educational systems; teacher subject associations; parents; academics; students; universities; etc)

A national conference was held by ACARA to obtain feedback.

The paper was revised from this feedback

Shape PaperThe revised initial advice paper was reviewed by

education authorities at state and national level.A shape paper was prepared from the revised advice

paper and feedback.Public consultation of Shape Paper – three months

on the ACARA website for comment.Comments reviewed and integrated.Final Shape Paper presented to education

authorities. Once approved it was ready for phase two - the writing phase.

Phase Two: Curriculum Writing

AssessmentThe Australian Curriculum does not specify how teachers / schools / curriculum authorities will assess student learning

CurriculumThe Australian Curriculum details what students should learn (content descriptions) and describes the quality of learning expected (achievement standards)

Organisation of learning / pedagogySchools and teachers are best placed to decide how to organise learning, taking account of the needs and interests of students and school context

Curriculum considerations for writing the CCC

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General capabilitiesIn a world where knowledge is constantly growing and evolving students need to develop skills, behaviours and dispositions that apply across subject areas; equip students to be lifelong learners.

Learning areasThe Australian Curriculum will be designed to ensure that students develop the knowledge, understanding and skills on which major disciplines are based; reflecting ways in which knowledge has and will continue to be developed and codified.

Cross-curriculum prioritiesSpecial attention to three contemporary issues.

Dimensions of the Australian Curriculum

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General capabilities•Literacy•Numeracy•ICT capability•Critical and creative thinking•Ethical behaviour•Personal and social capability•Intercultural understanding

Learning areas•English•Mathematics•Science•Humanities and social sciences – history, geography, business and economics, civics and citizenship•Arts•Languages•Health and physical education•Technologies

Cross-curriculum priorities•Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures•Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia•Sustainability

Dimensions of the Australian Curriculum

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The curriculum: F–12 [Initially F-10]

Content descriptions• A core of knowledge, skills and understandings – i.e.

what students will be taught in CCC

Achievement standards

• The expected standard or quality; challenging, but achievable – i.e. the quality of student learning as a result of what they are taught in CCC

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Curriculum content for a world class CCC?

Three interconnected components:• Knowledge• Skills• Values, attitudes, dispositions

What knowledge for world class CCC?

Knowledge of: Human rights• Democracy Environmental

sustainability• Government Global citizens• Active citizenship Multiculturalism• Legal system• Rule of law

Skills for CCCWhat core skills are needed for an active,

democratic citizen?

• Questioning and research • Analysis, synthesis and interpretation• Problem-solving and decision-making• Communication and reflection

Values integrated within CCC

• Liberal democratic values: freedoms, civic responsibility, government by the people

• Rule of law & common good• Diversity, difference, social justice, civil

behaviour, identity [multiple].• Disposition to participate – civically and

politically

Curriculum organizationThe scope and sequence of the CCC was

based on three themes that included the knowledge, skills and values above spread over the years F-10 [Years 11 and 12 may be integrated later].

1.Government and democracy2.Law and citizens3.Citizenship, diversity and identity.

Phases 3 and 4

2013 – trials of English, History, Maths, Science

2014 – trials of other subjects including CCC- implementation of other subjects

2015+ – implementation of remaining subjects including CCC [ dependent on states]

DCE in UK

• Based from 1997 report and well funded by Labour Govt.

• DCE curriculum for all schools• Content emphasizes citizenship• Specially funded teacher education• Resources produced• Foundations e.g. Citizenship Foundation

Europe

All countries have some form of DCE – influence of WWII- usually civics.

DCE has become central rather than civics in last decade, emphasis on active citizens

Knowledge base of democracy and historyVariable according to country- unity Vs

federations e.g. France – Germany

Asia

Japan has a national education system dominated by the bureaucracy in Tokyo. Similar – Singapore, Taiwan, Korea,…

Civics and Moral Education [CME] is emphasized with a strong component of building moral [‘good’] citizens.

Selective history in support of CME

USA

USA is a federation with education controlled by 50 states and 15,000 school districts [local control].

Civics is a core subject in elementary and secondary schools along with history.

Content – democracy, rights, legal system