International civic and citizenship education study - iccs - IEA

discipline. In addition, one optional section includes questions for teachers of subjects related
to civic and citizenship education. These questions ask teachers for their views on civic and
citizenship education at school and on practices used to teach this subject area at school.
Teacher characteristics: The ICCS teacher questionnaire includes a set of items asking about
teachers’ demographic variables (gender, age) and work experience (in general and also their
experience inside their current school). The number of years of teaching inside the current
school and the holding of specific positions and responsibilities are factors that may influence
how teachers consider their own relationship with the school, their sense of belonging to it,
and the extent to which they are willing to take an active part in their school community. These
factors are therefore ones that contribute to the openness of the school climate. Variables related
to the teachers’ work experience are subject/s taught in the target grade, years of teaching,
years of teaching in the (current) school, and specific positions/responsibilities within the
school (head teacher, coordinator of subject areas, department coordinator).
Teachers’ participation in school governance: The ICCS teacher questionnaire includes a set of
items asking about teachers’ participation in school governance. The items refer to teacher
participation in school representative bodies, to their willingness to take on responsibilities
besides those of teaching, and to their participation in drafting the school education plans.
The questions also ask the teachers about their participation in civic- and citizenship-related
activities carried out by the school in the community, and their personal engagement (that is,
beyond their teaching) in activities of this type. Teacher participation can be seen as a measure
of both the degree of openness of the school management and of teachers’ commitment toward
and sense of belonging to their respective schools.
Teachers’ confidence in teaching methods: The use of teaching and learning methods and classroom
management procedures that are primarily learner-centered may contribute to the creation of an
open and democratic classroom climate favorable to acquisition of the skills and competencies
necessary for active participation and for dealing with situations necessitating problem-solving
and conflict resolution. Teachers’ confidence in using particular methods and procedures relates
to both their professional experience and their learning opportunities during their initial
and in-service training. Indications in this regard also emerged in CIVED. When asked about
training needs, many of the teachers who participated in this survey expressed their preference
for training in content areas (Losito & Mintrop, 2001). However, teachers of some countries
indicated, as important, pedagogical training related to leading classroom discussions and
fostering an open classroom climate for discussion.
Because the ICCS teacher questionnaire is addressed to teachers of all subjects, the items
concerning this construct focus mainly on teachers’ general pedagogical knowledge (Shulman,
1987). The teachers’ ability to take on a range of managerial responsibilities within and outside
the classroom (“managerial competence”) as well as their recognition of and “commitment to
the acknowledgement of the dignity of others [that is, ‘empathy’]” are identified as two of the
dimensions that contribute to defining quality in teaching (OECD, 1994, p. 35).
Teachers’ perception of school climate: The ICCS teacher questionnaire includes a set of items asking
about school climate. The items refer to the school as a democratic learning environment and to
the contribution of teachers in bringing about a democratic ethos inside the school.
The teachers’ answers are analyzed in relation to the answers given by the school principals
in the school questionnaire, as well as to students’ answers to a similar question in the student
questionnaire, in order to compare the different perspectives.
ICCS ASSeSSment FrAmework
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