International Association of Educators   |  ISSN: 2834-7919   |  e-ISSN: 1554-5210
International Journal of Progressive Education
International Association of Educators

Original article | International Journal of Progressive Education 2012, Vol. 8(3) 77-93

Scales of active citizenship: New Zealand teachers‟ diverse perceptions and practices

Bronwyn Elisabeth Wood

pp. 77 - 93   |  Manu. Number: ijpe.2012.045

Published online: October 15, 2012  |   Number of Views: 106  |  Number of Download: 422

Save PDF

Abstract

The heightened focus on ‗active‘ citizenship in New Zealand‘s current curriculum (Ministry of Education, 2007) mirrors a pattern observed in many nation‘s curricula in the past decade. The scale of active citizenship in this curriculum includes an expectation that students will participate in local and national communities but also extends to participation in ‗global communities‘. Recognising that citizenship is a hotly contested concept, how do teaching departments, as collective curriculum ‗gatekeepers‘, understand, interpret and enact such curriculum requirements? This paper describes the perceptions and practices toward active citizenship of New Zealand social studies teachers (n=27) from four differing geographic and socio-economic secondary school communities. This study reveals significant differences in the scale of teachers‘citizenship orientations with lower socio-economic school communities prioritising locally-focused citizenship and higher socio-economic communities favouring national and global orientations. Applying a Bourdieusian analysis, the author posits that  these diverse perceptions and practices are socially and culturally constituted and reinforced by the shared doxa within school communities. Understanding these differing perceptions   of ‗active‘ citizenship is essential to gain more nuanced perspectives on how citizenship education is enacted and practised in classrooms.

Keywords: Active citizenship, curriculum, citizenship education, Bourdieu, doxa, scales of citizenship

How to Cite this Article?

APA 6th edition
Wood, B.E. (2012). Scales of active citizenship: New Zealand teachers‟ diverse perceptions and practices . International Journal of Progressive Education, 8(3), 77-93.

Harvard
Wood, B. (2012). Scales of active citizenship: New Zealand teachers‟ diverse perceptions and practices . International Journal of Progressive Education, 8(3), pp. 77-93.

Chicago 16th edition
Wood, Bronwyn Elisabeth (2012). "Scales of active citizenship: New Zealand teachers‟ diverse perceptions and practices ". International Journal of Progressive Education 8 (3):77-93.

References
  1. Apple, M. (1993). Official knowledge: Democratic education in a conservative age. London: Routledge. [Google Scholar]
  2. Archer, E., & Openshaw, R. (1992). Citizenship and identity as 'official goals' in social studies. In R. Openshaw (Ed.), New Zealand social studies: Past, present and future (pp. 19-33). Palmerston North: Dunmore Press. [Google Scholar]
  3. Barr, H. (1998). The nature of social studies. In P. Benson & R. Openshaw (Eds.), New horizons for New Zealand social studies. Palmerston North: ERDC Press. [Google Scholar]
  4. Barr, H. (2005). Toward a model of citizenship education. In C. White & R. Openshaw (Eds.), Democracy at the crossroads; International perspectives on critical global citizenship education (pp. 55-75). Lanham: Lexington Books. [Google Scholar]
  5. Beck, U. (2007). A new cosmopolitanism is in the air. Literaturen, November. [Google Scholar]
  6. Bourdieu, P. (1977). Outline of a theory of practice (R. Nice, Trans.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [Google Scholar]
  7. Bourdieu, P. (1984). Distinction: A social critique of the judgement of taste. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. [Google Scholar]
  8. Bourdieu, P. (1986). The forms of capital.In J. Richardson (Ed.), Handbook of theory and research for the sociology of education (pp. 241-258). Westport, CT: Greenwood. [Google Scholar]
  9. Bourdieu, P. (1990). The logic of practice. Stanford: Stanford University Press. Bourdieu, P. (2000). Pascallian meditations (R. Nice, Trans.). Cambridge: Polity. [Google Scholar]
  10. Bourdieu, P., & Wacquant, L. (1992). An invitation to reflexive sociology. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. [Google Scholar]
  11. Brooks, R., & Holford, J. A. (2009). Citizenship, learning and education: Themes and  issues. Citizenship Studies, 13(2), 85-103.doi:10.1080/13621020902749027 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  12. Buckingham, D. (2000). The making of citizens: Young people, news and politics. London: Routledge. [Google Scholar]
  13. Codd, J. (2005). Education policy and the challenges of globalisation: Commercialisation or citizenship? In J. Codd & K. Sullivan (Eds.), Policy directions in Aotearoa New Zealand (pp. 3-16). Southbank Victoria: Thomson Dunmore Press. [Google Scholar]
  14. Deer, C. (2008). Doxa. In M. Grenfell (Ed.), Pierre Bourdieu: Key concepts (pp. 119-130). Durham: Acumen. [Google Scholar]
  15. Evans,  M.  (2006).  Educating  for  citizenship:  What  teachers  say  and  what  teachers   do. Canadian Journal of Education, 29(2), 410-435.doi:10.2307/20054170 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  16. Faulks, K. (2000). Citizenship. London: Routledge. [Google Scholar]
  17. Frazer, E. (2008). Key perspectives, traditions and disciplines: Overview. In J. Arthur, I. Davies & C. Hahn (Eds.), The Sage handbook of education for citizenship and democracy (pp. 81-91). London: Sage. [Google Scholar]
  18. Gruenewald, D. (2003). The best of both worlds: A critical pedagogy of place. Educational Researcher, 32(4), 3-12.doi:10.3102/0013189X032004003 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  19. Harker, R. (1990). Bourdieu: Education and reproduction. In R. Harker, C. Mahar & C. Wilkes (Eds.), An introduction to the work of Pierre Bourdieu: The practice of theory (pp. 86-108). Houndsmills: The Macmillan Press. [Google Scholar]
  20. Harris, A., & Wyn, J. (2009). Young people's politics and the micro-territories of the local. Australian Journal of Political Science, 44(2), 327- 344.doi:10.1080/10361140902865308 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  21. Harris, A., Wyn, J., & Younes, S. (2007). Young people and citizenship: An everyday perspective. Youth Studies Australia, 26(3), 19-27. [Google Scholar]
  22. Harrison, K. (1998). Social studies in the New Zealand curriculum: Dosing for amnesia or enemy of ethnocentrism? In P. Benson & R. Openshaw (Eds.), New horizons for New Zealand social studies (pp. 63-82). Palmerston North: ERDC Press. [Google Scholar]
  23. Ireland, E., Kerr, D., Lopes, J., Nelson, J., & Cleaver, E. (2006). Active citizenship and young people: Opportunities, experiences and challenges in and beyond school: Citizenship education longitudinal study: Fourth annual report: Nottingham: National  Foundation for Educational Research. [Google Scholar]
  24. Isin, E., & Turner, B. (2007). Investigating citizenship: An agenda for citizenship studies. Citizenship Studies, 11(1), 5-17.doi:10.1080/13621020601099773 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  25. Kennedy, K. (2007). Student constructions of'active citizenship': What does participation mean to students? British Journal of Educational Studies, 55(3), 304- 324.doi:10.1111/j.1467-8527.2007.00381.x [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  26. Kennedy, K. (2008). The citizenship curriculum: Ideology, content and organisation. In J. Arthur, I. Davies & C. Hahn (Eds.), The Sage handbook of education for citizenship and democracy (pp. 483-491). London: Sage. [Google Scholar]
  27. Keown, P. (1998). Values and social action: Doing the hard bits. In P. Benson & R. Openshaw (Eds.), New horizons for New Zealand social studies (pp. 137-159). Palmerston North: ERDC Press. [Google Scholar]
  28. Keown, P., McGee, C., & Carstensen, M. (1997). Action research on values education through social studies in two New Zealand schools. Hamilton: University of Waikato. [Google Scholar]
  29. Kerr, D. (1999). Citizenship education in the curriculum: An international review. UK: National Foundation for Educational Research. [Google Scholar]
  30. Kerr, D., Cleaver, E., Ireland, E., & Blenkinsop, S. (2003). Citizenship education longitudinal study first cross-sectional survey 2001-2003. London: DfES. [Google Scholar]
  31. Lister, R. (2003). Citizenship: Feminist perspectives (2nd ed.). London: Macmillan. [Google Scholar]
  32. Lister, R., Smith, N., Middleton, S., & Cox, L. (2003). Young people talk about citizenship: Empirical perspectives on theoretical and political debates. Citizenship Studies, 7(2), 235-253.doi:10.1080/1362102032000065991 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  33. Marsh, D., O'Toole, T., & Jones, S. (2007). Young people and politics in the UK: Apathy or alienation? Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan. [Google Scholar]
  34. Massey, D. (2004). Geographies of responsibility. Geografiska Annaler, 86B(1), 5- 18.doi:10.1111/j.0435-3684.2004.00150.x [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  35. McGee, J. (1998). Curriculum in conflict: Historical development of citizenship education in social studies. In P. Benson & R. Openshaw (Eds.), New horizons for New Zealand social studies (pp. 43-62). Palmerston North: ERDC Press. [Google Scholar]
  36. Milligan, A., Taylor, M., & Wood, B. E. (2011). Teachers‘ conceptions of citizenship in New Zealand social studies education. Citizenship Teaching and Learning, 6(2), 287- 302.doi:10.1386/ctl.6.3.287_1 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  37. Ministry of Education (1997). Social studies in the New Zealand curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media. [Google Scholar]
  38. Ministry of Education (2007). The New Zealand curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media. Mutch,  C. (2005a).  Confident, informed  and responsible  citizens:  By what  means?  In   P. Benson  &  R.  Openshaw  (Eds.),  Towards  effective  social  studies  (pp.       69-84). Palmerston North: Kanuka Grove Press. [Google Scholar]
  39. Mutch, C. (2005b). Developing global citizens: The rhetoric and the reality in the New Zealand curriculum. In C. White & R. Openshaw (Eds.), Democracy at the crossroads: International perspectives on critical global citizenship education (pp. 187-209). Lanham: Lexington Books. [Google Scholar]
  40. Mutch, C. (2006). Adapting Bourdieu's field theory to explain decision-making processes in educational policy. In V. Anfara & N. Mertz (Eds.), Theoretical frameworks in qualitative research (pp. 155-174). Thousand Oaks: Sage. [Google Scholar]
  41. Nelson, J., & Kerr, D. (2006). Active citizenship in INCA countries: Definitions, policies, practices, and outcomes. Retrieved August 2007. from http://www.inca.org.uk/pdf/Active_Citizenship_Report.pdf [Google Scholar]
  42. Openshaw, R. (2004). Able to take their part? Social studies and the curriculum framework In O'Neill, J. Clark & R. Openshaw (Eds.), Reshaping culture, knowledge and learning: Policy and content in the New Zealand Curriculum Framework (pp. 245- 264). Palmerston North: Dunmore Press. [Google Scholar]
  43. Osler, A. (2011). Teacher interpretations of citizenship education: National identity, cosmopolitan ideals and political realities. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 43(1), 1.doi:10.1080/00220272.2010.503245 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  44. Osler, A., & Starkey, H. (2003). Learning for cosmopolitan citizenship: Theoretical debates and young people's experiences. Educational Review, 55(3), 243- 254.doi:10.1080/0013191032000118901 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  45. Osler, A., & Starkey, H. (2005). Changing citizenship: Democracy and inclusion in education. Maidenhead: Open University Press. [Google Scholar]
  46. Prior, W. (1999). Concepts of citizenship: Teacher perceptions of civics and citizenship education. The Social Educator, September, 5-15. [Google Scholar]
  47. Prior, W. (2005). Perceptions of citizenship in Australia. In C. White & R. Openshaw (Eds.), Democracy at the crossroads: International perspectives on critical global  citizenship education. Oxford: Lexington Books. [Google Scholar]
  48. Punch, S. (2002). Interviewing strategies with young people: The 'secret box', stimulus material and task-based activities. Children and Society, 16(1), 45- 56.doi:10.1002/chi.685 [Google Scholar] [Crossref] 
  49. Rosaldo, R. (1989). Culture and truth: The remaking of social analysis. Boston: Beacon Press. [Google Scholar]
  50. Ross, A. (2008). Organizing a curriculum for active citizenship education. In J. Arthur, I. Davies & C. Hahn (Eds.), The Sage handbook of education for citizenship and democracy. London: Sage. [Google Scholar]
  51. Silverman, D. (2006). Interpreting qualitative data: Methods for analyzing talk, text and interaction (3rd ed.). London: Sage. [Google Scholar]
  52. Sim, J. B.-Y. (2010). Simple ideological 'dupes' of national governments'? Teacher agency and citizenship education in Singapore. In K. Kennedy, W. On Lee & D. Grossman (Eds.), Citizenship pedagogies in Asia and the Pacific (pp. 221-242). Hong Kong: Comparative Education Research Centre. [Google Scholar]
  53. Taylor, R. (2008). Teachers' conflicting responses to change: An evaluation of the implementation of senior social studies for the NCEA 2002-2006. Unpublished  Doctor of Education thesis, Massey University, Palmerston North. [Google Scholar]
  54. Thornton, S. (2005). Teaching social studies that matters: Curriculum for active teaching. New York: Teachers' College Press. [Google Scholar]
  55. Torney-Purta, J., Richardson, W. K., & Barber, C. H. (2005). Teachers' educational experience and confidence in relation to students' civic knowledge across countries. Citized: International Journal of Citizenship and Teacher Education, 1(1), 32-57. [Google Scholar]
  56. Weller, S. (2007). Teenagers' citizenship: Experiences and education. Oxon: Routledge. [Google Scholar]
  57. Westheimer, J., & Kahne, J. (2004). What kind of citizen?: The politics of educating for democracy. American Research Journal, 41(2), 237-269. [Google Scholar]
  58. Wood, B. E. (2009). Comparing the New Zealand curriculum and youth conceptions of the 'ideal' citizen: Re-examining trust, participation and responsibility. Youth Studies Ireland, 4(2), 3-21. [Google Scholar]
  59. Wood, B. E. (2010). Youth participation in society: Everyday citizenship perspectives from young people in New Zealand. New Zealand Sociology, 25(2), 103-124. [Google Scholar]
  60. Wood, B. E. (2011). Citizenship in our place: Exploring New Zealand young people's everyday, place-based perspectives on participation in society. Unpublished Ph.D thesis, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. [Google Scholar]
  61. Zipin, L., & Reid, A. (2008). A justice oriented curriculum: Making community curricular. In J. Arthur, I. Davies & C. Hahn (Eds.), The Sage handbook of education for  citizenship and democracy (pp. 533-544). London: Sage. [Google Scholar]
Download
Metric
History
Related

Volume 8 Issue 3

October 2012

All Articles

International Journal of Progressive Education

International Association of Educators.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License.
Privacy policy     |     Terms of Use     |     Use of Cookies
Creative Commons Lisansı
© 2012 - 2024 - THDSoft e-Journal Management System.