31 May 2017

Publications

PROMOTING CIVIC COMPETENCE THROUGH SOCIAL STUDIES EDUCATION

By: Bryan M. Santos

As an academic discipline, the main goal under which social studies operate is to offer

secondary students with a plethora of learning experiences where certain virtues are given the

opportunity to be nurtured and developed (Zevin, 2013). These virtues include improved

interpersonal relationships, higher level of self-realization, advanced social and political

participation, unity with national goals, and improved scientific and technological understanding.

Such is the case because the primary concern of social studies is to understand individuals’ spatial,

temporal, and geographical relationships (Ritter, Powell, & Hawley, 2007). Simply put it, the

interaction of people with one another and with the society as a whole is the phenomenon being

explored in social studies. As Barton, McCully, and Marks (2004) said, when referring to social

studies in general, there is unity of thought among academic scholars that man’s life is the center

of its endeavours.

However, Britzman (2003) claimed that among the aspects of the society as a whole, the

main focus of social studies is on the promotion of civic education. By civic education, he meant

developing civic competence among secondary school learners through integrating knowledge,

attitudes, and skills in proposing resolutions to the problems, challenges, and issues that societies

encounter. Along with the promotion of civic education, however, Zevin (2013) argued that the

dynamism of society should also be recognized and explored accordingly. His argument is

anchored on the fact that knowledge about the society as well as the nature of knowledge itself is

in a constant process of change. Seen in this light, social studies will be able to promote civic

competence by fostering modern approaches in giving solutions to the contemporary issues and

problems that societies confront.

Given the above social studies concept, social studies as a school subject should primarily

be concerned in developing “intelligent, responsible and self-directing citizens who are expected

to positively explore opportunities to develop their own potentialities and to contribute their

maximum effort to the improvement of group living within the societal framework of the nation”

(Dynneson & Gross, 1999:67). In other words, while part and parcel of the outcomes that social

studies education should bring about are students’ individual development and improved

relationships with others, the culminating realization of these outcomes is the betterment of the

31 May 2017

Publications

society as whole. Students are, through social studies education, expected to contribute to the

development of the entire society.

Understood in the above context, social studies teachers are exhorted to put emphasis on

civic education. This means that in carrying out their pedagogical tasks, their primary

consideration is the promotion of civic awareness among students. A brief discussion of what civic

education is will therefore be devoted.

According to Darling-Hammon and Bransford (2005), civic education refers to the

educational system whose chief educational goal is to develop upright civic values among the

learners. Furthermore, it seeks to develop students who are aware, informed, responsible, and

active citizens of the country. While civic awareness is the theoretical aspect of civic education,

civic participation is its practical counterpart. Ritter et al. (2007) support this view as they argue

that the main goal of civic education is the inculcation of morally sound virtues of good citizenship

which in the long run must be exhibited by learners through value characterization.

Given these views about social studies education, it must cease as an armchair classroom

subject. More than the acquisition of knowledge, the promotion of civic competence and virtues

of responsible citizenship should be emphasized in social studies education.

References

Barton, K.C., McCully, A.W., & Marks, M. J. (2004).Reflecting on elementary children’s understanding of history and social studies: An inquiry project with beginning teachers in Northern Ireland and the United State. Journal of Teacher Education, 55(1), 70-90.

Britzman, .D.T. (2003).Practice makes practice: A critical study of learning to teach. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.

Darling- Hammond, L., & Bransford, J. (Eds.). (2005).Preparing teachers for a changing world: What teachers should learn and be able to do. San Francisco, CA: Jossey- Bass.

Dynneson, T. L., & Gross, R. E. (1999). Designing effective instruction for secondary social studies. Merrill College, Prentice Hall, 200 Old Tappan Rd., Old Tappan, NJ 07675.

Ritter, J. K., Powell, D.J., & Hawley, T. S. (2007).Takin’ It to the streets: a collaborative self study into social studies field instruction. Social Studies Research and Practice, 2(3).

Zevin, J. (2013). Social studies for the twenty-first century: Methods and materials for teaching in middle and secondary schools. Routledge.