Citizenship education is of primary importance to the construction of the sense of
belonging and to civic participation in Canadian society. Although much has been said and
written about citizenship education, there is no body of systematic long-term research in
this key area. Canada is a society in transition. Schools and federal departments alike
bear major responsibilities for assuring the socialization of the population for the
roles, rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
What is CERN?
The Citizenship Education Research Network brings together a group of interested
researchers, policy makers, practitioners and stakeholders, to carry out an agreed-upon
agenda of citizenship education research in Canada. CERN responds to a need for a
systematic, long-term body of research on the important dimension of social cohesion.
Background
The Network began as a Citizenship Education Think Tank held at the Kananaskis Field
Station in Alberta, March 27-30, 1998. The thirty participants met to develop an agenda
for citizenship education research in Canada; to continue the exchange among interested
researchers, partners and stakeholders; and to lay the groundwork for common comparative
pan-Canadian research projects. This event was organized under the auspices of the Canadian
Society for the Study of Education and was sponsored by the department of Canadian
Heritage.
Discussions of citizenship education research
occurred at several previous conferences, including:
 |
a preoccupation for democratic
education manifites within the framework of the 44th
International conference of education at Geneva which
brought together ministers of education in 1994, to
review the implementation of recommendations on peace
education, human rights education and international
understanding; |
|
an invited
conference on citizenship education held in April
1995 under the auspices of the chair of studies in
Canadian citizenship and human rights at St. Thomas
University in Fredericton, New Brunswick; resulting
in the publication of a collection of articles in
the journal of Canadian and International Education,
volume 25, number 20, published in December 1996,
with Alan Sears (U
New Brunswick) and Murray Print (University of Sidney)
as guest editors; |
|
day-long sessions on citizenship
education at the 1995 and 1997 annual conferences
of the Canadian Society for the Study of Education,
both organized by Yvonne Hébert; with papers from
the 1995 conference to appear in a book edited by
Yvonne Hébert and with papers from the 1997 conference
published in Canadian Ethnic Studies, Volume
XXIX, number 2 (1997); |
|
also within
the CSSE annual conference in St. John's NFLD, was
held a day-long Education Domain Conference, June
13, 1997, which brought together educational researchers
of the Metropolis project; with conference proceedings
launched at the Second National Metropolis Conference
in November 1997; |
|
a day of reflection on
civic participation, November 23, 1997 in Montréal,
organized by the Multiculturalism Directorate of the
federal department of Canadian Heritage, resulted
in fruitful discussion and an emerging sense of community
among researchers and policy makers. A key background
paper, "Civic Participation, Awareness, Knowledge,
and Skills" by Jim
Frideres (U Calgary), served as the springboard
for a discussion group chaired by Michel
Pagé (U Montréal) which very ably developed a
consensus around future research and program directions
on the theme of civic participation; |
|
the Second annual Metropolis
Conference, held in November in Montréal, in which
researchers from across the country spoke about emerging
and on-going research projects. |
At the time, these events and projects were disconnected but
it is at the Montréal conference that we saw the potential
of linking them and similar projects as part of a national
research agenda on citizenship education in Canada so as to
provide a clear sense of direction and purpose.
Federal Interests
Meanwhile, realizing that in the next decade, Canadians will face hard questions about
the future of their country, five federal departments came together in 1996-1997 to share
their policy and research interests and plans with respect to an overarching concern with
social cohesion. Canadian Heritage, Citizenship and Immigration, Human Resources
Development, Justice and Industry Canada agreed that constructive synergies could be
achieved between them on a significant number of research interests.
Formed in November 1996, the federal Policy Research Sub-Committee on Social Cohesion
discussed long-term policy research requirements, developed a research inventory and set
the stage for the development of a Social Cohesion Research Workplan (March 1997). Three
research themes were agreed upon: Fault Lines, Axes of Community Identification and
Implications of Changes in Social Cohesion. Within these themes, several issues are
germane to the CERN initiative; these are: civic education and knowledge of Canada;
Canadian values; national identity and community attachment. Thus, while developing
independently, common interests of researchers and a supporting federal department come
together in the CERN initiative.
Making History
The resulting Citizenship Education Think Tank, held on March 27-31, 1998 at the
Kananaskis Field Station of the University of Calgary, in Alberta, was a historic event
for not since 1919 has a group of concerned Canadians come together in a concerted
national effort to discuss citizenship education. At that time, a major conference was
held, organized by business interests, in the wake of the Winnipeg Strike of 1915, to
consider the development of a stable and productive citizenry.
Four Research Themes
As a result of the Kananaskis discussions which focussed on documents exchanged,
participants' interests and experiences, as well as what research is needed to guide
action in this domain, four research themes emerged and were the object of group consensus
at the Kananaskis Think Tank:
1. Citizenship Conceptions and
Contexts;
2. Citizenship Practices;
3. Citizenship Values; and
4. Citizenship Skills, Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviours.
These four themes were further developed at the next meeting of the group, in Ottawa
on June 1, 1998, when they met in the Research Councils' chambers, hosted by Elisabeth
Barot of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO and Canadian Heritage.
Research Programme
A series of research projects were identified for each of the four research themes. The
theme area, Citizenship Conceptions, consists of three sub-themes: (a) Studies of the
historical, social and philosophical context; (b) peoples' conceptions of citizenship; (c)
educators' conceptions.
Citizenship Practices, another research theme, examines (a) the current state of
knowledge on what citizenship education is actually being done; (b) the impact of
practices and norms of institutions other than schools on citizenship education,
especially on the hidden curriculum; (c) the roles of schools and other institutions for
group such as students, parents, community groups; and (d) what is meant by the notion of
"best practices' of citizenship.
The priorities of the research theme, Citizenship Values and Principles, are (a) to
determine the citizenship values and principles which Canadians share; (b) to determine
Canadians' perceptions of the values held by particular groups within Canadian society;
(c) to determine what Canadians do when confronted with situations to which their values
apply and in which their values conflict; and (d) to determine whether available
citizenship materials reflect the citizenship values to which Canadians subscribe.
Looking at citizen efficacy, the fourth theme on the Skills, Knowledge, Attitudes and
Behaviours Particular to Citizenship examines four questions: (a) What are the attitudes,
knowledge, skills and behaviours, not only among students, but among citizens in general,
in the domain of citizenship? (b) Although it is difficult to define these, how can such
research guide the implementation of "good citizen practices'? ( c ) How do skills,
attitudes and knowledge of citizenship guide behaviour? (d) What influence do pedagogical
approaches have in the transmission and acquisition of citizenship concepts? In other
words, how can a sense of efficacy be developed so that students are confident that they
can as citizens contribute to the evolution of society?
For further information about the series of research projects identified or planned for
each theme area, please consult the Kananaskis Executive
Summary or the Kananaskis Final Report;
and the Ottawa Report.
Working Together
Researchers and partners are accountable to the Citizenship Education Research Network
which meets regularly. The next meeting of the Network is planned for the 1999 annual
conference of the Canadian Society for the Study of Education, to be held June 9-12, 1999
at the Université de Sherbrooke/Bishop's University. For further information, please
contact the 1999 CERN meeting organizer, Eva
Krugly-Smolska, Queen's University. For further information about the annual CSSE
conference, please contact Tim Howard, CSSE
Administrator, or visit the web site of CSSE.
Working with the Metropolis project, many CERN participants are also affiliated
researchers of one of the four Centres of Excellence for Research on Immigration and
Integration, located in Montréal, Toronto, the Prairies and Vancouver. Bringing together
educational researchers, the Metropolis Education Research Forum (MERF) meets twice a
year, at the annual Metropolis conference and at the annual conference of the Canadian
Society for the Study of Education. One of the themes of study within MERF is
Intercultural/Anti-Racist Education and Civic Education.
Key Roles
Several researchers across the country play key roles in assuring that the Network
meets its research programme commitments:
| Alan
Sears |
U New Brunswick |
Chair, Citizenship
Conceptions |
| Tracey
Derwing |
U Alberta |
Chair, Citizenship
Practices |
| Charles
Ungerleider |
U British Columbia |
Chair, Citizenship
Values |
| Andy
Hughes |
U New Brunswick |
Chair, Citizenship
Skills, Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviours |
| Yvonne
Hébert |
U Calgary |
Coordinator, Citizenship
Education Research Network. |
Note: Click on a name to send an e-mail.
CERN Index
