ΕΙΣΗΓΗΣΗ στο
SECOND SOUTH- EUROPEAN AND MEDITERRANEAN CONFERENCE
ON CITIZENSHIP IDENTITY AND CULTURE:THE CHALLENGE FOR EDUCATION
APRIL 10-11, 2009
UNIVERSITY of PATRAS, GREECE
SECOND SOUTH- EUROPEAN AND MEDITERRANEAN CONFERENCE
ON CITIZENSHIP IDENTITY AND CULTURE:THE CHALLENGE FOR EDUCATION
APRIL 10-11, 2009
UNIVERSITY of PATRAS, GREECE
"Active citizenship education and sustainable development as pedagogical aims in the Greek primary school curriculum"
Alexandra Kouloumbaritsis,
Counselor, Hellenic Pedagogical Institute
alcoul@pi-schools.gr
Abstract
Curriculum considerations and textbook design in primary and secondary education are two major domains of the Hellenic Pedagogical Institute (HPI) which is a state agency attached to the Greek Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs (MOFERA).
Within the Greek cross-thematic curriculum (2003), which is a national curriculum, citizenship education and skills are meant to play a critical role in primary school culture and pedagogy. However, in practice, citizenship education preserves a monolithic instrumental approach to impart mainly informations about institutions and political systems.
Recent Greek and European policy frameworks (i.e. Council of the EU, 2006) contend that it is urgent to take measures and provide for sustainable development. Education should play a central role towards this end. For this reason citizenship education and sustainable development comprise one of the seven strands of curriculum modification and improvement proposed recently by the HPI to the MOFERA to be undertaken until 2013 (Hellenic Pedagogical Institute, 2008).
The present article draws upon Greek and European policies, as well as upon research findings and societal needs to ask for curriculum modification. Active citizenship and sustainable development as central pedagogical aims can contribute to form a hybrid integrated subject matter. The scope of that hybrid subject can be based on assumptions from fields such as political science as well as political philosophy. The sequence of the subject can be organized according to the principles of meaningful education, such as the concept-based approach of curriculum and instruction. A good example of such an approach is offered by Stefanopoulos et al. (in the present symposium) who delineate how active citizenship and sustainable development standards can be aligned to curriculum standards in the new textbook of 5th grade Social & Civic Education to promote skills of informed, responsible and active citizen.
Key words: active citizenship, sustainable development, curriculum and textbook design.
Για περισσότερα:www.pi-schools.gr/Κοινωνική και Πολιτκή Αγωγή/Πρωτοβάθμια/επιστημονικά άρθρα
