Putting Action (back) into Active Citizenship and Praxis (back) into Practice – the Doing Democracy Research Project in Australia Dr David Zyngier Education Faculty Monash University Victoria Australia

Outline Background to a broader study of the understandings of democracy by Pre-service Teachers, Teacher Education Academics, and In-service Teachers review the New Citizens and Civics Education (CCE) in Australia Use framework of: –Barber’s Strong Democracy (Barber, 2004), –Westheimer and Kahne (2003) Kinds of Good Citizens - responsible, participatory and justice oriented –Gandin and Apple (2002) Thin & Thick Democracy

Doing Democracy: Global Doing Democracy Research Project part of a comparative and contrasting study of education students, teachers and their educators in Australia, North America, South America, Africa, Asia and Europe The research explores three themes: 1.the apparent predisposition among teachers is to understand democracy and politics in a thin way; 2.the potential for teachers to do thick democracy in education; and 3.teachers understanding of the importance of power and difference in relation to democracy. The focus of this research study is how education supports, cultivates and engages in/with democracy.

thin as opposed to thick democracy Conceptualize the visible tension between: the superficial features often associated with teaching about democracy that focus on civics and citizenship fundamental scaffolding which, permits people to appropriate the deeper meaning of the term democracy (Gandin & Apple, 2002) students know that civic engagement is not an individual, private endeavour.

A Critical Citizenship? various Australian academic research suggests that the CCE Project only requires some augmentation to make it critical –sustainability –Globalisation ‘further work is required to promote depth and breadth’ (Dejaeghere & Tudball, 2007, p. 41) ‘investigation of and participation in activities that support sustainable practices, social justice and underpin the future well being of societies from a local to a global level’ (Dejaeghere & Tudball, 2007, p. 44) The goal of critical citizenship is to provide the conditions for collective social change’ (Dejaeghere & Tudball, 2007, p. 49) ‘primary goal of CE is to prepare the next generation of citizens for enlightened political engagement’ (Print and Coleman, 2003, p. 130 new CCE should ‘generate cooperation, networking, trust and cohesiveness’ (Print & Coleman, 2003, p. 136) that is compliance and homogeneity in Australian schools )

Thin democratic discourses activities such as students contributing food to a food drive or in a more active participatory manner organising a food drive for the poor. (Westheimer & Kahne, 2004)

Thick democracy discourses Explore why people are hungry and act to solve its root causes (Westheimer & Kahne, 2004)

What do Pre-service Teachers, Teachers & Education Academics think about Democracy? Pre-service Teachers N= 55 Teachers N=65 Education Academics=40

Is Australia a Democratic society? AcademicsPre-service teachersTeachers Not verySomewhatVery

Is the USA Democratic? Academics TeachersPre-service teachers Not verySomewhatVery

Academics TeachersPre-service teachers Since the Bali Bombing is Australia a more or less democratic country? Much lessSomewhatMuch more

Are elections important to Democracy? Academics TeachersPre-service teachers Not verySomewhatVery

Academics TeachersPre-service teachers Do you feel that you are actively engaged in democracy? Not at allSomewhatVery active

Academics TeachersPre-service teachers Should teachers strive to inculcate a sense of democracy in students? Not at allSomewhat Most Definitely

What a thick democracy might look like in school education Discussion …