Educate, Equip, Engage, Empower: A Framework for Preparing Preservice Teachers in Civic Education

Abstract

Grounded in the historical and philosophical perspective of social reconstructionism, current work in citizenship education, as well as an actual experience of recent student activism in the antigenocide movement, the “4E” framework described in this article provides a way for educators to actualize goals for civic empowerment. This 21st-century model for citizenship education provides a clear path to student empowerment by activating civics in an authentic way. The framework proposes a four-step process for student learning: educate, equip, engage, and empower. In addition, the framework provides a structured way of integrating a recommended method for citizenship education into preservice teacher education.