Citizenship education in context: student teacher perceptions of citizenship in Cyprus

Abstract

This paper presents a phenomenographic study that was carried out at the University of Cyprus Department of Education, aiming at the investigation of student teacher perceptions of citizenship, nationality, community and their relationship with human rights. The study showed a continuum of perceptions about citizenship, which are discussed in line with the discourse on human rights and the culturally and politically contextualized understanding of citizenship. It is argued that, despite the fact that the meaning of citizenship in Europe varies, citizenship education for Europe must consider the special circumstances that shape different understanding in order to succeed in cultivating a multidimensional citizenship that goes beyond nationality.