The dissertation provides a comprehensive analysis of the problem of implementation and development of Education for Democratic Citizenship (EDC) in the countries of the Council of Europe (CoE), analyzes the conceptual foundations and identifies the strategies of the Council of Europe in the implementation of Education for Democratic Citizenship.
The historiography of the normative legal support of Education for Democratic Citizenship in the countries of the Council of Europe is presented and its main stages of development are highlighted. The experience of the member states of the Council of Europe and Ukraine regarding the models of the introduction of Education for Democratic Citizenship is analyzed.
Education for Democratic Citizenship is a conceptually new direction in the development of civil society, which is implemented in school education. The implementation of EDC is characterized by its cross-cutting and interdisciplinary nature, the use of a whole-school approach to building a democratic school environment, cooperation with local authorities and the community, autonomy and academic integrity, school self-governance, and assistance to civil society organizations at all levels. The Council of Europe’s strategies for implementing Education for Democratic Citizenship are closely linked to the European Union’s (EU) education policy, as much of the regulatory framework and guidance documents are common to the CoE and the EU. The leading trend and strategic basis for the development and implementation of EDC is the competency paradigm, which is a sign of modern educational reforms. The competency paradigm has emerged in education in Europe as a result of discussions initiated in the early 2000s by economically developed countries such as Austria, United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Germany, France, and later Hungary, Romania, Moldova, Lithuania, and Latvia, Estonia, which has also been joined by all EU and CoE countries.
The mechanisms of EDC implementation in the CoE countries are analyzed and identified on the basis of research and reports of the CoE. The regulatory mechanisms at the country level are: official legislation and constitutional provisions, curricula recommendations). Four models of EDC implementation in the CoE countries have been identified: unilateral actions by public administration bodies that develop a strategy for EDC implementation throughout the cycle (development, implementation, evaluation) (Lithuania, Austria, Denmark, Malta, Slovenia, Romania, Ukraine); consultations, bilateral actions (specialists and stakeholders provide feedback to public education authorities); (Turkey, Germany, Slovakia, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, etc.); alternative actions implementation of a bottom-up approach based on grassroots initiatives of teacher practitioners and stakeholders), (Greece, Austria, Estonia, Norway, Czech Republic, Poland, Serbia); partnership (active participation and joint responsibility in joint structures), (Italy, Norway, England, Ireland, Hungary, Albania, Bulgaria, Poland).
The tendencies in the development of EDC in the countries of the CoE are revealed and characteristics of its main components, forms and methods of teaching in the school education system are provided. The tendencies are related to the creation of new educational standards, new school curricula, digitalization of education, unification of standards and programs at different levels, involvement to international comparative studies.
It is determined that the environment for EDC should be based on modern information and communication technologies (ICT) and should promote digital citizenship. An instrumental system for supporting school environment for the implementation of EDC is proposed.
Recommendations and prospects are outlined for the implementation and development of EDC in Ukraine based on the experience of the CoE member states. Proposals for the implementation of EDC in Ukraine are: EDC should be included in the priority areas of Ukrainian school development; it is necessary to develop conceptual provisions for EDC at the level of school education, action plans and roadmaps, to provide justification for mechanisms and models of such implementation; it is important to provide scientific and methodological support of EDC, to encourage the cooperation with stakeholders; when developing an educational policy for the implementation of EDC should take into account its cross-cutting, interdisciplinary nature; to include appropriate outcomes indicators of EDC implementation; models and approaches of CoE countries should be used; to develop the information and educational environment in school; to design an instrumental support system for EDC; educational programs and plans should be equipped with appropriate methods of EDC; to strengthen cooperation on EDC with local authorities, media, civil society, CoE institutions; special attention should be paid to teachers’ training on EDC.
