Helen Stokes,. Malcolm J. Turnbull. & Josh Levy. Young people's civic participation has positive outcomes for their educational achievement, but is insufficiently.
Civic participation through the curriculum Young people’s civic participation has positive outcomes for their educational achievement, but is insufficiently supported by formal curricula and pedagogy in Australian schools. The ruMAD? (are you Making a Difference?) program encourages, educates and empowers young people to enact social change within their school and community. A recent evaluation of the program included a case study of two schools – one primary and one secondary – that are using ruMAD? to engage students and drive community change in highly disadvantaged areas of Queensland and Tasmania.
by Rosalyn Black, Helen Stokes, Malcolm J. Turnbull & Josh Levy
VLJQLÀFDQWERG\RIOLWHUDWXUHVXJJHVWVWKDW\RXQJSHRSOH·VFLYLFSDUWLFLSDWLRQLVDVVRFLDWHG ZLWKVRFLDOEHQHÀWVVXFKDVJUHDWHUVRFLDOFDSLWDODQGVWURQJHUFRPPXQLW\QHWZRUNV,WDOVR suggests that the experience of participation fosters the competencies valued by school systems. These include competencies with implications for young people’s wellbeing, such as UHVLOLHQFHVHOIHVWHHPHIÀFDF\DQGFRQQHFWHGQHVV %UDGVKDZ+RHOVFKHU 5LFKDUGVRQ DQG competencies with implications for young people’s ability to successfully navigate the requirements of schooling, such as literacy, analysis, communication, problem-solving and social competency (GZDUGV-RKQVRQ 0F*LOOLFXGG\ $VRQHVWXG\FRQFOXGHV
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«\RXQJSHRSOHZKRIHHOFRQQHFWHGKDYHRSSRUWXQLWLHVWRSDUWLFLSDWHLQPHDQLQJIXODFWLYLWLHVDUHLQFOXGHGLQ decision making and feel safe and secure in supportive environments report better health and mental health. As a result they are more likely to be engaged in schooling, family life, positive peer relationships, civic activities, HPSOR\PHQWDQGFRQWULEXWHWRWKHVKDSLQJDQGEXLOGLQJRIEHWWHUFRPPXQLWLHV %XUQVHWDOS
Socioeconomic disadvantage LVDVLJQLÀFDQWEDUULHUWRWKLVSDUWLFLSDWLRQWKH@YHU\NLGV >XVXDOO\@PRVWGLVHQJDJHGDUHWKHRQHVZDQWLQJ WRGULYHWKHGD\µDQGWKDW´WKHVWXGHQWVZKR DUH>XVXDOO\@PRVWFKDOOHQJLQJDUHVLWWLQJLQWKH IURQWURZµ 6WRNHV 7XUQEXOO 7KHVFKRRO leadership explained the impact of the program LQWKHVHWHUPV ´,QVWHDGRIWKHWUDGLWLRQDOWRS GRZQVW\OHRIOHDUQLQJ«LW·VDERWWRPXSVW\OH of learning driven by the kids themselves” 6WRNHV 7XUQEXOO . The research also illustrates the program’s capacity to enable young people to be active DJHQWVLQWKHLUVFKRRORUFRPPXQLW\)LIW\ nine per cent of all students surveyed by the HYDOXDWLRQIHOWWKDWWKH\KDGPDGH´VRPHµ´TXLWH DELWµRU´ORWVµRIGLIIHUHQFHWRWKHFRPPXQLW\ through the ruMAD? framework. Seventy-three per cent of the student sample felt that their UX0$'"H[SHULHQFHKDGVLJQLÀFDQWO\KHLJKWHQHG their awareness of the world around them. Eighty per cent cited varying degrees of heightened selfawareness as a result of the program. These results are supported by the interviews with teachers and students at Gagebrook Primary School, who highlighted the value of ruMAD? in promoting student awareness of the issues that operate in their community as well as the ability of individuals and small groups to bring about change. Asked to identify the best aspect of her ruMAD? experience, one student reported that she had, ´OHDUQWWKDW\RXFDQUHDOO\PDNHDGLIIHUHQFH if you want to” (6WRNHV 7XUQEXOO 7KH VFKRRO·VSULQFLSDOWHVWLÀHGWKDW´UX0$'"LV a really good conduit to look at the value of FRPPXQLW\µ 6WRNHV 7XUQEXOO 6LPLODU observations came from a teacher at Loganlea 6WDWH+LJK6FKRRO ´7KHNLGVEHOLHYHLWJLYHV them an idea of what the future looks like. 7KDW·VDPDMRUSOXVµ 6WRNHV 7XUQEXOO
Modelling student-centred learning ,QDGGLWLRQWRLWVUROHDVDYHKLFOHIRUFRPPXQLW\ change-making, ruMAD? was clearly viewed by both schools as a mechanism for changing teacher practice. As the secondary school leadership explained:
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Youth Studies Australia
VOLUME 28 NUMBER 3 2009
,WLVDPHWKRGRORJ\WKDWRXUWHDFKHUV0867 adopt not only because it empowers students to become active generators of their own learning, but it increases their capacity to positively DIIHFWWKHLURZQZRUOG²LQFUHGLEO\LPSRUWDQW for children from impoverished communities 6WRNHV 7XUQEXOO
Despite this commitment from the top, there was variability in the way teachers adapted to the new pedagogy. While the principal of *DJHEURRN3ULPDU\6FKRROQRWHGWKDW´WKH VWDIIDUHDOORQERDUG«QRQHJDWLYLW\DERXW LWµ 6WRNHV 7XUQEXOO VHFRQGDU\VFKRRO interviewees described a process of staff DGMXVWPHQWWRDQHZWHDFKLQJSDUDGLJP2QH WHDFKHUQRWHGWKDW´WKLVVW\OHRIOHDUQLQJLV excellent for staff if they are open-minded”, EXWDQRWKHUUHFRJQLVHGWKDW´WHDFKLQJWKLVZD\ can be challenging, particularly for people not H[SHULHQFHGLQ>ZRUNLQJ@WKLVZD\µ 6WRNHV 7XUQEXOO 7KHYLHZRIVWDIIZDVWKDW GHVSLWHUHVLVWDQFHIURPVRPHFROOHDJXHV´\RX QHHGWRNHHSJRLQJVWUDLJKWDKHDG«WKHZLQG WXQQHOV\QGURPH«MXVWGRLWµ 6WRNHV 7XUQEXOO 2QHHQFRXUDJLQJVWRU\IURP the primary school was that the ruMAD? Coordinator had been nominated by his peers for an Excellence in Teaching Award. The dominant view of both schools was that WKHEHQHÀWVRIDPRUHVWXGHQWFHQWUHGWHDFKLQJ SUDFWLFHRXWZHLJKHGDQ\GLIÀFXOWLHVLQLWV introduction or implementation, but previous UHVHDUFK %ODFN KLJKOLJKWVWKHFKDOOHQJH that such new practice can represent for teachers in schools with high student need and low resources. One of these is the multiple demands on teacher time, which remain a barrier to the full implementation of the program at both schools. Staff at Gagebrook Primary School cited LQVXIÀFLHQWSODQQLQJWLPHDVWKHFKLHIREVWDFOH IDFHGE\WHDFKHUVLQLPSOHPHQWLQJUX0$'",WV principal similarly noted that: :H·YHJRWDORWRQRXUSODWHV«7DVPDQLDKDV MXVWLQWURGXFHGDQHZFXUULFXOXPZLWKVWURQJ HPSKDVLVRQ/LWHUDF\DQG1XPHUDF\«YHU\ VWURQJOLWHUDF\SXVK«DQGZH·UH>JHWWLQJLQWR@ that. You also need time to do quality planning IRUUX0$'" 6WRNHV 7XUQEXOO
Other research indicates that one of the barriers to active student participation in
schools is the perceived imperative to deliver the curriculum (Johnson 2004). The evaluation yielded a clear recognition that ruMAD? works better when it is integrated into the curriculum than when it is offered as a one-off or standalone activity. The primary school principal QRWHGWKDWUX0$'"UHÁHFWHGWKHVFKRRO·V subscription to team-teaching and a needsdriven curriculum. Similarly, school leadership DWWKHVHFRQGDU\VFKRROUHÁHFWHGWKDW“ruMAD? ÀWVLQZHOOZLWKRXUZD\RIWKLQNLQJµ 6WRNHV 7XUQEXOO 7KHVFKRROKDVDOUHDG\ ZULWWHQUX0$'"LQWRLWV +XPDQLWLHVDQG SOSE (Studies of Society and Environment) curriculum and staff agreed that it could easily EHWLHGWRRWKHUVXEMHFWV
Connections with parents and the community ,QDGGLWLRQWRVWXGHQWDQGWHDFKHURXWFRPHVWKH evaluation provides examples of how ruMAD? can improve connections between schools and parents. Staff at Loganlea State High School have observed a considerable increase in parental involvement as a result of the school’s UX0$'"SURMHFWVDQGUHFRJQLVHWKDWSDUHQWDQG community linkages could be further developed through future initiatives. Gagebrook Primary School reported strong parent support for an art DXFWLRQKHOGDVSDUWRIRQHUX0$'"SURMHFW ruMAD? can also build stronger links between schools and the wider local community. Previous media coverage of events in the Gagebrook district has been negative. As the Tasmanian Centre for Global Learning noted, there were regular bad news stories in the local press, a perception that the community was in crisis and a lack of positive role models for young people. Since its involvement in ruMAD?, the school has noted improvement in its perception by both the media and the community.
Conclusion 7KHÀQGLQJVRIWKHHYDOXDWLRQLQGLFDWHWKDW programs like ruMAD? provide young people with successful and meaningful educational experiences and serve as a needed model for renewed, revitalised and reconceptualised
teacher practice in schools where student achievement and attainment is affected by socioeconomic factors. Given the strength of the research evidence that young people’s active civic participation encourages their educational SDUWLFLSDWLRQDQGDFKLHYHPHQWÀQGLQJVRIWKLV sort have important implications for curricular and pedagogic practice. More ambitiously, programs such as ruMAD? represent a vehicle by which young people can help drive and support the national social inclusion agenda and provide a powerful model for the renewal of civics education within the national curriculum.
References %DURQ-'5 Exploring the factors DVVRFLDWHGZLWK\RXWKV·HGXFDWLRQDORXWFRPHV 7KH role of locus of control and parental socio-economic EDFNJURXQG, discussion paper for the Centre for Economic Policy Research, Australian National 8QLYHUVLW\$&7 Bentley, T. 2002, Learning beyond the classroom, YROXPHRIVHPLQDUSDSHUV,QFRUSRUDWHG Association of Registered Teachers of Victoria, Melbourne. %HQWRQ7&OHDYHU()HDWKHUVWRQH*.HUU '/RSHV- :KLWE\.
