Journal of Social Science Education (JSSE - Universität Bielefeld)
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Learning peace and citizenship through narratives of war?
Full text linkPurpose: The article explores the roles of war and violent conflicts in citizenship education.
Approach: This is a theoretical article, drawing on literature from the interdisciplinary fields of political science, history, citizenship education as well as field studies in different learning arenas, war memorial sites- and museums
Findings: There are divergent roles of war in citizenship education, and the typology of five didactic perspectives illustrates the challenges concerning the types of citizenship it aims at. Narratives of war could produce and contribute to different forms of citizenship or even represent the opposite of the concept
Research limitations: Further empirical research is needed to develop knowledge on how to deal with war and conflict in educational practice, both in schools and other learning arenas.
Practical implications: The article contributes to addressing and structuring the challenges and potentials of didactic approaches to war and violent conflict in citizenship education.
Editorial: Assessment and National Exams in Social Studies and Social Sciences
Full text linkIn the Introduction are outlined some central questions relating to why there has been increased interest toward assessment, evaluation and testing in educational policy in the last 30 years, and what effect this may have had on pedagogy. In the Introduction attention is drawn to the both negative and positive potential that there is in the new emphasising of student assessment
Book Review: Skolen i demokratiet - demokratiet i skolen [The school in democracy - democracy in school]
Full text linkFrom playground extremism to neo-Nazi ideology: Finnish educators\u27 perceptions of violent radicalisation and extremism in educational institutions
Full text linkPurpose: The role of formal education is currently viewed as central in preventing violent radicalisation and extremism (VRE), however educators\u27 understanding, or competences have not been developed accordingly. Therefore, this study critically investigates Finnish educators\u27 perceptions of presumed manifestations of VRE among their students.
Findings: Finnish educators confront ideologically and morally challenging situations, some of which include extremist features. They do, however, have difficulties in distinguishing VRE from other types of motives for hostile or violent rhetoric or behaviour, especially if students from societal minority groups are involved.
Practical implications: False labeling may have negative consequences on students. Educators\u27 need VRE-related in-service trainings that focus on increasing educators\u27 knowledge and reflection on their VRE-related preconceptions and intuitive responses to these.
Research limitations: We acknowledge the possible skewedness of the survey data as responding may have felt more appealing to those educators who have encountered VRE or who are interested or worried about VRE
Assessing deeper learning of high school civics
Full text linkDeeper learning in civics is conceptually rich and facilitates learning in the future.
We developed and conducted research on an assessment model and a test of deeper learning in high school civics.
We used construct-driven assessment design to develop the assessment.
We conducted research on the assessment using Design-Based Implementation Research across 13 schools.
Core concepts and reasoning strategies for the course provided the framework for assessment alignment.
Purpose: Civic education is a central mission of public schools, and deeper learning of civics—learning that is complex and adaptive—is the goal. However, assessment of deeper civic learning is limited. Therefore, we aimed to develop an assessment model and test of deeper learning in the common high school civics course taught across the U.S.
Design/methodology/approach: Using Design-Based Implementation Research (DBIR), the assessment model and test were iteratively researched and revised by a team of researchers and teachers across seven years and multiple settings.
Findings: Results of validity and reliability studies show that the model and test are promising tools for assessing deeper civic learning.
Research limitations/implications: Additional research is warranted to refine the test-development process, design alternative test forms, and adapt the model to other social studies courses.
Practical implications: We suggest ways to use this assessment model to assess learning in civics and other social studies subjects
Teenagers\u27 participation in the public life in Italy: Insights for education from a web survey: Date of publication: 07/21/2023
No full textPurpose: The essay wonders about forms and ways of participation in the public sphere of adolescents. The investigated practices include individual and collective participation in different contexts (in the community, at school, among peers), in physical or web presence.
Design/ methodology/ approach: A web survey was carried out involving about 1,300 adolescents (14-17 years old) in five Italian urban contexts, different in size and geographical location.
Findings: Cognitive and actionable findings regarding adolescents’ participation.
Research limitations/ implications: Self-completed questionnaire, involvement of adolescents not attending project partner schools, not statistically representative samples but good enough for our particular purpose.
Practical implications: Empirical evidence a) provide deep knowledge of adolescents, b) identify constructive approaches to promote participatory skills and full and conscious involvement in community life, c) are useful for local project partners and other operators involved in adolescents’ education promoting community-based interventions for well-being and preventing the disadvantaged situation in young people, and d) will represent the basis of local research training workshops
Civic reasoning about power issues: The criticality of agency, arena and relativity
Full text linkPurpose: The study examines students\u27 conceptions of power and important aspects of teaching for developing the ability to analyse power relations in social science.
Methodology: Phenomenography is used in the analysis of 155 student essays, to identify different ways of analysing societal power issues.
Findings: When conducting a qualified analysis of a societal power issue, it is crucial that students discern that power is tied to an agent, that power is exercised through agency in specific contextual power arenas, and that they understand how power is relative to the power of other agents in the same arena.
Research limitations: The study focuses on Swedish upper secondary students. Comparisons with other groups of learners are welcomed.
Practical implications: The critical aspects identified should be used as a basis for teaching designs. Findings imply that the meaning of power as a concept should be highlighted in social science teacher education
Between the lifeworld and academia: Defining political issues in social science education: Date of publication: 07/21/2023
No full textHighlights:
We identified four aspects for defining political issues.
Political issues are collective.
Political issues are conflictual in nature.
Political issues are contemporary issues.
Issues are political due to contextual factors.
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to discuss mutual understandings of political issues among students and academics. The aim is to suggest a framework that teachers can use to address politics from both the discipline’s and the students’ perspectives.
Design/methodology/approach: This study is based on semi-structured interviews with twelve students in six upper secondary schools and eight social science academics in Norway and Sweden.
Findings: We identified four guiding aspects for defining political issues in social science education to connect disciplinary thinking with students’ views of the political. These aspects are: 1) collective, 2) contemporary, 3) conflictual, and 4) contextual.
Limitations: This study relied on interviews with a selection of students and academics and what they chose to express. The results may not be applicable to other samples.
Implications: The framework presented can be used in social science education to understand and discuss the nature of political issues
The place of civic education in the Greek education system: Problems, inconsistencies, contradictions and stakes
Full text linkPurpose: In this Report we analyse the place of civic education in the Greek Education system. The integration of civic education into education since 1982 represents a major step forward in the upgrading of general education. However the curricula are mainly characterised by teacher-centred approaches, with a strong emphasis on the achievement of cognitive objectives and little emphasis on the learning process and teaching strategy.
Design/methodology/approach: This report is based on an analysis of the place of social studies in the Greek education system. We analysed the aims of the curricula, the role of teachers, the didactic approaches, the educational practices and the assessment.
Findings: From our analysis we have detected a gap between the public rhetoric about the role of social sciences and their implementation in the Greek education. Although it seems that the general principles of curricula are permeated by a more democratic and flexible note which encourages critical thinking and participation, they are not implemented in practice and by and large are annulled due to the great emphasis the Greek education system places on knowledge acquisition and exams. The elimination of Social studies in some classes points to a school which is cut off from the current socio-economic reality, thus condemning students to a passive attitude towards social and educational affairs.
Research limitations/implications This article reports on the research conducted on civic education since the 1990’s and onwards. The study of all these researches leads us to the conclusion that neither the curricula nor the textbooks of social studies courses have been extensively analysed, and this could be a future field of research. Another area of research is the role of school charters, the didactic approaches and the assessment in this course in the Greek education context.
Practical implications Upheavals in the history of the Greek governmental system and democracy left their indelible mark on citizens’ education; changes in the title of the course, the time allotted to its teaching and the content of school knowledge evidence its dependence on the respective socio-political and ideological regime as well as its indoctrinational character. The turning points in civic education which can be pinpointed between 1982 and 2003 were linked with the educational policy of socialist governments and the gradual paradigm shift in social studies
Finnish matriculation examination’s exam in Social Studies – an appropriate gatekeeper and competence support?
Full text linkThe study set to investigate the Finnish matriculation examination with a focus on the social studies. The goal was to examine how well the subject-specific exams of the examination measure students’ attainment in the courses of the respective subject across upper secondary studies.
The data was drawn form a longitudinal study of 6,172 Southern-Finland upper secondary students in 62 schools who passed their matriculation examination in spring 2017. Data on course choices and attainment was received from school and matriculation examination results from the Finnish Matriculation Examination Board.
Key finding of the study is the unanimity between the two assessments: students’ grades in the subject-specific exams of the matriculation examination correlated strongly with their respective grades across the courses during their three years of upper secondary studies.
The findings give strong support for the matriculation examination as an exit exam and for its use in student admission to higher education.
Corresponding author:
Najat Ouakrim-Soivio, Mannerheiminkatu 2, 06100 Porvoo, Finland. [email protected]: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9139-4145
Suggested citation:
Kantasalmi, K., & Kupiainen, S. (2021). Classes with selective intake in Finnish Comprehensive School: A Problem of Societally Equal Opportunity for Schooling or a Boost for Learning and Equity in Pedagogical arrangements? International Journal of Educational Research, 109, 101857.
Kupiainen, S. & Hotulainen, R. (2017). Metropolialueen nuoret toisen asteen opiskelijoina: osaamisen ja oppimisasenteiden kehitys yläkoulun alusta lukion ja ammatillisten opintojen toisen opiskeluvuoden kevääseen. [The metropolitan youth as upper secondary students: The development of learning and learning attitudes from the beginning of lower secondary studies to the second year of general or vocational upper secondary studies]. In A. Toom, M. Rautiainen & J. Tähtinen (Eds.) Toiveet ja todellisuus – Kasvatus osallisuutta ja oppimista rakentamassa.
Kupiainen, S., Marjanen, J., & Hautamäki, J. (2016). The problem posed by exam choice on the comparability of results in the Finnish matriculation examination Journal for Educational Research Online, 8(2), 87. Retrived 15.10.2022 at https://www.waxmann.com/index.php?eID=download&id_artikel=ART102868&uid=frei
Kupiainen, S., Marjanen, J. & Ouakrim-Soivio, N. (2018). Ylioppilas valintojen pyörteessä. [The matriculate in the whirlwind of choices]. Suomen ainedidaktisen tutkimusseuran julkaisuja. Ainedidaktisia tutkimuksia 14. Retrived 15.10.2022 at https://helda.helsinki.fi/handle/10138/231687
Ouakrim-Soivio, N., Kupiainen, S., & Marjanen, J. (2017). Toimivatko oppilas- ja opiskelija-arvioinnin kriteerit? Oppiaineiden välinen ja sukupuolen mukainen vaihtelu perusopetuksen ja lukion päättöarvosanoissa ja arvosanojen yhteys nuorten oppiainevalintoihin. [How do the criteria for student assessment work? Subject and gender-based variation in students’ final grades and their relation to students’ subject choices]. In V. Britschgi, & J. Rautopuro
Rantala, J. & Ouakrim-Soivio, N. (2020). Why does changing the orientation of History teachingtake so long? A case study from Finland. In, Berg, C. & Christou, T. (Eds.) The Palgrave handbook of History and Social Studies education. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, 471–494.
Kupiainen, S. & Ouakrim-Soivio, N. (2019). Do centralised upper secondary school exit examinations offer added value? Presentation on NOFA7-konference13.–15.5.2019. Retrieved 15.10.2022 at https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1347552/FULLTEXT01.pdf
Declaration of conflicts of interests: No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.