Political participation as a goal of civic education
In the project, pupils are given the opportunity to plan, carry out and reflect on political actions in extracurricular educational seminars in cooperation with schools. In researching these processes, the question of learning theory is explored as to the conditions under which political participation can be understood as a legitimate part of political education. The aim is to examine how concepts and methods can be designed to promote the goal of democratic participation without being overwhelming. In the project, schools and non-formal political education providers work together at a total of nine to twelve locations in Germany each year. The project is led by Haus am Maiberg in Heppenheim.
Project duration:
Cooperation partner: Haus am Maiberg/Heppenheim (Benedikt Widmaier)
October 2021 to December 2024
Funded by the
Federal Agency for Civic Education
The model project "Political participation as a goal of political education" was carried out by Haus am Maiberg, Academy for Political and Social Education, from July 2016 to December 2019 and funded by the Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb). The aim of this practical research project was to generate experience of the structural, didactic and methodological conditions under which it is possible to guide, implement and reflect on political activities by young people in school contexts. To this end, pupils were given pedagogical support in the planning, implementation and reflection of political actions.
Even after the end of the project, seminars will continue to be held using the methodology developed and tested here in order to promote political participation in non-school settings. If you are interested, please contact the project management.
NATIONWIDE NETWORK
The project was coordinated primarily by Haus am Maiberg.
A network of extracurricular civic education institutions and schools of different school types from Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate was formed to implement the project:
- Arbeit und Leben Hessen e.V. (Oberursel near Frankfurt)
- Internationales Forum Burg Liebenzell (Bad Liebenzell)
- Bonifatiushaus (Fulda)
- Heinrich Pesch House (Ludwigshafen)
- Ludwig Windthorst House (Lingen)
- Walberberg Youth Academy (Walberberg, between Cologne and Bonn)
The activities were accompanied and professionally advised by nationwide political education organizations
- Arbeitsgemeinschaft katholisch-sozialer Bildungswerke in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (AKSB)
- Working Group of German Educational Institutions (AdB)
- Federal Committee for Political Education (bap)
- Federal Working Group "Work and Life"
- German Association for Political Education (DVPB)
- Heidelberg School of Education
- Transfer Office for Civic Education
The model project was scientifically monitored by Junior Professor Alexander Wohnig from the University of Siegen. This was done using qualitative social research methods:
- Participatory observations of the seminar phases
- Qualitative interviews with teachers and pupils
- Visits to the political actions carried out
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
As a consultant for political youth education, Alexander Mack was responsible for the organization and content of the project.
