Preparing young people to be active citizens has to be a core value of schools and higher educati... more Preparing young people to be active citizens has to be a core value of schools and higher education institutions. Thus, education for citizenship is important because every society needs people who can contribute effectively to the future health of their communities locally, nationally and globally. The field of citizenship education is one that encompasses an abundance of topics and issues (Cohen, 2010). In an attempt to bring some much needed clarity to this field, this paper presents the theoretical and conceptual background for a field study that intends to examine whether young people graduating from high school in Bahrain are equipped with the civic knowledge and understanding necessary to participate effectively as citizens. It also provides young people's conception of citizenship, their perception of their identity, and their concern about their community issues. Drawing on quantitative and qualitative data, this paper analyses the ways in which young Bahrainis perceive their identity and citizenship status. In this mixed methods approach, a questionnaire was administered to 460 final year secondary school students, followed by in-depth interviews with a stratified sample of 22 young people who had participated in the questionnaire survey. The findings provide valuable insights into the problems encountered by young Bahrainis as they engage in the process of learning about citizenship. This helps the educators, curriculum designers and policy makers to build upon what Bahraini young people already know and understand, and revise the content and types of activities that should be introduced if effective learning is to take place.
Preparing young people to be active citizens has to be a core value of schools and higher educati... more Preparing young people to be active citizens has to be a core value of schools and higher education institutions. Thus, education for citizenship is important because every society needs people who can contribute effectively to the future health of their communities locally, nationally and globally. The field of citizenship education is one that encompasses an abundance of topics and issues (Cohen, 2010). In an attempt to bring some much needed clarity to this field, this paper presents the theoretical and conceptual background for a field study that intends to examine whether young people graduating from high school in Bahrain are equipped with the civic knowledge and understanding necessary to participate effectively as citizens. It also provides young people's conception of citizenship, their perception of their identity, and their concern about their community issues. Drawing on quantitative and qualitative data, this paper analyses the ways in which young Bahrainis perceive their identity and citizenship status. In this mixed methods approach, a questionnaire was administered to 460 final year secondary school students, followed by in-depth interviews with a stratified sample of 22 young people who had participated in the questionnaire survey. The findings provide valuable insights into the problems encountered by young Bahrainis as they engage in the process of learning about citizenship. This helps the educators, curriculum designers and policy makers to build upon what Bahraini young people already know and understand, and revise the content and types of activities that should be introduced if effective learning is to take place.
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