Teachers constituting the politicized subject: Canadian and US teachers’ perspectives on the ‘good’ citizen

Abstract

This study examines how secondary history teachers in the United States and Canada understand their role in promoting citizenship and national identities. Building upon Anderson’s concept of ‘imagined communities’, I argue that compulsory history classes are key sites for imagining the nation and communicating norms about citizenship. While the citizenship education literature has begun to explore teachers’ beliefs about citizenship, researchers in the fields of citizenship education and history education have not examined how history teachers understand the ‘good’ citizen or the place of their subject in forming national identities. I interviewed thirteen secondary history teachers (seven US/six Canadian) to examine their beliefs about citizenship and national identity. I sought to understand how they engage with broader discourses about citizenship and the nation. Twelve of the thirteen teachers described the good citizen in ways consistent with Westheimer and Kahne’s models of the personally responsible citizen and the participatory citizen. US teachers also expressed a desire to foster students’ individual judgement and critical thinking skills, whereas Canadian teachers stressed the importance of fostering national identity as well as students’ responsibility to the collective good.

Cultivating a Justice Orientation Toward Citizenship in Preservice Elementary Teachers

“…Both elementary and secondary students in Martin's (2008) study felt that helping others was integral to good citizenship and that their future "good" citizenship endeavors would include teaching and helping others in need. Faden (2012) and Patterson, Doppen, and Misco (2012) offered insights into practicing teachers' beliefs about "good" citizens. Faden interviewed 13 inservice teachers from the United States and Canada regarding their beliefs about citizenship and national identity.…”

More than a matter of qualification: Teachers’ thoughts on the purpose of social studies and history teaching in vocational preparation programmes in Swedish upper-secondary school

“…The first of these research areas, education's civic and citizenship function, is undoubtedly the largest The interest in investigating how prospective and active teachers perceive concepts such as citizenship and democracy is considerable (see, e.g., Anderson et al, 1997;Estelles and Romero, 2019;Faden, 2012;Hahn, 2015;Logan, 2011;Marri et al, 2014;Martin, 2008Martin, , 2010Patterson et al, 2012). In some cases, studies have dealt with teachers' ways of viewing the meaning of good citizenship (Bramwell, 2020;Martin et al, 2013;Prior, 1999).…”

Citizenship education in Canada: ‘Democratic’ engagement with differences, conflicts and equity issues?

“…Research on teachers' classroom practice shows that, within the 'same' official guidelines, teachers have considerable autonomy to interpret the curriculum they implement in varied ways, including at times critical (as well as mainstream) political perspectives. Small-scale (qualitative) studies of teachers' conceptions (Evans, 2006;Faden, 2012;Myers, 2007) show broad similarities between Canadian, US, and UK teachers, and wide variations within samples of Canadian teachers. One theme especially prominent among Canadian teachers in Faden's study -not surprising in a 'middle power' country situated next door to a superpower-was an emphasis on the importance of affirming national identity.…”

“…From the research available, Canadian teachers' conceptions and citizenship teaching practices today often reflect mainstream liberal civic republican viewpoints that are considerably less critical than current curriculum guidelines. At secondary as well as elementary grade levels, teachers tend to emphasize personal responsibility rather than political engagement (Faden, 2012;Molina Girón, 2012;Sears, 2009;Sears & Hughes, 2006;Tupper, 2007). Llewellyn, Cook & Molina's (2010) case studies in four Ottawa, Ontario high schools found that students and even teachers referred to civic education as 'boring.'…”