Social citizenship competences of primary school students: does socio-ethnic diversity in the classroom matter?

Abstract

In the current diverse society, young people need a wide scope of social citizenship competences to live with the otherness of others. Schools are one of the social practices in which students develop these social citizenship competences. This study aims to identify how socio-ethnic diversity in the classroom is related to social citizenship competences of sixth grade primary school students. In order to measure students' social citizenship competences, a video-based situational judgement test (skills) and the Citizenship Competences Questionnaire (knowledge, attitudes and reflection) were administered to 791 students in 54 classes in Flanders (the northern part of Belgium). Variables with regard to socio-ethnic classroom diversity are measured by means of a student and parent background questionnaire. A regression analysis with a two-level design at student and classroom level was conducted for each of the four citizenship components. The results of these analyses indicate that differences in students' social citizenship competences are mainly explained by means of variables on student level. Included variables to measure socio-ethnic diversity in the classroom are not significantly related to students' social citizenship competences. Limitations of this study and directions for future research are discussed.