Developing social and civic competence in secondary education through the implementation and evaluation of teaching units and educational environments

Adolescents often struggle to develop social and civic awareness and a strong sense of identity. This research investigates how social and civic competence is developed in Spanish social science classrooms through specific teaching methodologies and learning environments. The study focuses on democratic citizenship, a core aim of the educational system. The researchers sought to understand the challenges adolescents face in constructing social and citizenship awareness, particularly in the context of social science classrooms in Spain. The study aims to address the gap between the theoretical aspirations for citizenship education and actual teaching practices, examining how specific pedagogical approaches and learning environments can foster active and responsible citizenship. The significance of this research lies in its potential to inform teacher training, curriculum design, and the creation of more democratic learning environments that effectively promote civic engagement.

Existing international research reveals difficulties adolescents experience in developing social and civic awareness. Studies in France highlight the teacher's role in fostering reflection and dialogue to create active citizens but note a disconnect between the goal of citizen training and actual teaching practices. In the UK, Italy, Switzerland, and Belgium, progress has been made in citizen training at a theoretical level through curriculum design, but implementation remains a challenge. Research also emphasizes the role of social sciences, particularly history, in developing active, responsible, and democratic citizens. Studies in Portugal and Brazil highlight the importance of history teaching in constructing national, individual, and collective identities, while research in Spain emphasizes the potential of history to address social and civic competence, reduce prejudice, and foster democratic citizenship. Prior research also underscores the crucial role of learning environments in promoting social and civic competence. This includes the importance of teacher planning and design of learning spaces to better understand and support the development of these competencies. The research emphasizes the necessity of creating spaces for student participation, discussion, and dialogue within the educational setting.

This study employed a qualitative observational method to analyze the implementation and effects of two teaching units on social and civic competence. An ethnographic approach was used to gather accounts from educators and students. The research involved 110 students from five secondary and high schools in Catalonia, Spain, across various subjects (Social Sciences, Culture and Values, and Philosophy). Two teaching units, "Athens, the origin of democracy" and "The Maze: Us and them," were implemented. The "Athens" unit, targeting first-year secondary students, explored citizen participation from Athenian democracy to modern representative systems. The "Maze" unit, used across three schools and subjects in the upper secondary years, engaged students in a gamified journey through different historical periods, using the Classcraft Learning Management System. Data collection involved fieldwork from January to June 2018, encompassing three phases: initial training for observers, field note recording using an observation guide, and group work sessions for data analysis. The researchers collected 19 field notes (8 for "Athens" and 11 for "The Maze"), which were analyzed using QSR NVivo 12 software. The analysis focused on two dimensions: citizenship (critical and active) and classroom climate. The analysis involved three levels: initial reading and coding, establishment of a definitive category system (including deductive and inductive approaches), and sequential analysis using content analysis, considering both general trends and unit-specific findings. The category system encompassed contextualization, space adequacy, teaching methodology, democratic citizenship competence (critical and active), student motivation, and classroom climate.

Both teaching units effectively fostered the development of democratic citizenship, emphasizing historical content, civic values, and civic education. While both units promoted active and critical citizenship, "The Maze" showed a slightly higher impact on active citizenship (60.87%) compared to "Athens" (52.94%), while "Athens" demonstrated a slightly higher impact on critical citizenship (47.06%) compared to "The Maze" (39.13%). The analysis revealed that both units contributed to a critical and inclusive learning environment that fostered attitudes aligned with responsible democratic citizenship. "Athens" particularly enhanced the development of active citizenship by promoting adolescent responsibility towards social issues and participatory ethical values. Excerpts from field notes illustrated students' reflections on concepts like democracy, justice, and equality, highlighting their awareness of social injustices and their right to participate in political processes. The "Athens" unit also encouraged interactive learning methods and critical reflection on the value of participation and the fight against discrimination. Both units stimulated critical and complex thinking, along with a commitment to justice, freedom, and equality. Students actively engaged with conflicting historical issues (e.g., treatment of women and slaves in ancient Athens, Nazism in Germany), contributing to the development of critical citizenship and demonstrating awareness of social issues. A word frequency analysis using Nvivo highlighted key terms associated with active and critical citizenship, indicating the frequency with which students discussed themes like participation, justice, democracy, and discrimination. Finally, the study shows a strong connection between the development of active and critical citizenship and the creation of conducive learning environments that promote reflection, analysis, interpretation, and dialogue. The classroom climate created by the teachers played a vital role in supporting these activities. The analysis using Nvivo's cluster analysis highlighted the interrelatedness of critical citizenship development with the classroom climate, teaching methodology, student motivation, and contextual factors.

The study's findings confirm the value of social sciences, particularly history, in developing active citizenship. The success of the teaching units demonstrates that active methodologies and well-structured learning environments are critical for fostering students' ability to think critically about social issues and participate actively as citizens. The participatory teaching approach, coupled with the carefully designed materials, empowered students to form their own opinions on relevant social problems, both historical and contemporary, and become aware of their rights and responsibilities within a democratic society. The observed classroom interactions demonstrated the students' engagement and ability to analyze social realities from diverse perspectives. The findings suggest that teacher training should incorporate these methodologies and emphasize the importance of creating democratic classrooms that model the desired active and critical citizenship skills. The success hinges not only on content but also on creating a learning environment that fosters critical thinking and respectful dialogue.

This study underscores the significance of history education and active teaching methodologies in developing active and critical citizenship among secondary school students. The creation of supportive learning environments that foster dialogue and reflection is crucial. Future research should explore the long-term impact of these teaching approaches, investigate their effectiveness across diverse educational contexts, and expand the research to include a wider range of subjects and age groups. Further research could also focus on the specific training needs of teachers to effectively implement these pedagogical approaches.

The study's scope is limited to a specific set of teaching units and schools in Catalonia. While the findings suggest effectiveness, the generalizability of the results to other contexts may be limited. Future research with a larger and more diverse sample is warranted to enhance the generalizability of these findings. The study primarily focuses on short-term effects; longer-term follow-up research would enhance understanding of the sustained impact of the teaching units on students' civic engagement.