Citizenship initiatives and pupil values: a case study of one Scottish school’s experience

Abstract

As the education for citizenship agenda continues to impact on schools, there is a need to discuss and examine the kind of initiatives that can push it forward. In Scotland the proposals should, it is argued, permeate the curriculum throughout the school. Yet there is the fear that the responsibility of all can become the responsibility of none. This research is designed to examine the impact on the young people involved on a dedicated and intense citizenship programme in one large secondary (high) school in Scotland. The results suggest that there was a marked change in the general values of the young people involved. Further, that there are some stark gender differences in the findings.

Keywords:

• citizenship
• values
• school education
• curriculum initiatives