Liberal democracies continue to face significant challenges. Publics appear less trusting of governments and established institutions, and less people are turning out to vote in many countries. Technology has also increased the volume and speed of skewed, charged, or misleading political debate, often referred to as a climate of information disorder.
Within this context, governments across the world have sought to advance the political knowledge of young people through civics and citizenship programs. Often, these programs seek to foster the political knowledge of students by focusing on democratic institutions and practice. This is based on the premise that effective civics education can mobilise young people to be active and engaged citizens who understand their rights and responsibilities as members of a liberal democracy.
Significant questions remain, however, about the preparedness of teachers and the support they require to teach civics content with confidence. The effectiveness with which teachers deliver civics classes is linked to their pedagogical strategies, work experience, political understanding, as well as the professional development opportunities available to them. These factors differ considerably from one teacher to the next, and research is required to understand the specific barriers teachers face. Building this evidence is essential to address inconsistent learning outcomes in civics and citizenship.
As such, this paper offers fresh perspectives on how civics and citizenship programmes are structured and taught. The paper draws on original findings from a qualitative study involving over 45 teachers based in three Australian states. It contends that teaching strategies are a vital dimension of how young people develop an understanding of politics and government, yet are often overlooked, especially in the field of political science. The paper presents a working typology of teacher types, at the intersections of professional development and confidence. In mapping out these teacher strategies, it begins to build an evidence base to advance and support teaching practices in civics and citizenship and thus strengthen the political knowledge of young people.
