The emphasis of education as a social tool to enhance democracy and social cohesion has become increasingly a focus for European level policymaking (European Council, 2001). Over the years the role of education as a contributory factor in the development and sustainability of democracy has been underlined by political sciences (Lipset, 1959; Putnam, 2000). However, how best young people can learn the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes for active citizenship or what in European policy circles refer to as ‘civic competence’ (Council 2006) in different European countries has remained an open question and was based mostly on qualitative research results (Bîrzéa 2004) or focusing on the development of civic knowledge (Torney-Purta et al, 2001 and 2002). On a political level, European countries have identified civic competence as a key competence giving the qualities needed for this within European Framework of Key Competences (Council 2006). It was measured across Europe within the Lisbon Strategy on Education (European Commission 2008 and Hoskins 2008). However, the research evidence on how to develop civic competence has remained limited. In this symposium we will present findings from international cross country quantitative research using a variety of statistical techniques including multilevel analysis to identify the aspects of learning that drive the development of civic competence and alternatively what are the barriers within education that prevent the learning of these qualities. The research discussed in the symposium uses the IEA CIVED 1999 dataset with a view to using the new IEA data collection (International Civic and Citizenship education Study) which is happening this year (2009) in European countries. The results will provide an evidence-base from which policymakers and practitioners can draw from to improve the development of the social outcomes of learning. The research presented builds on the measurement of civic competence from the European Commission Centre for Research on Lifelong learning, the research on inequalities and social outcomes from the Institute of Education new ESRC LLAKES centre (Centre for Learning and Life Chances in Knowledge Economies and Societies) and research on the learning of tolerance and trust from the Free University of Brussels and the University of Antwerp.

The symposium is based on the secondary analysis of the international dataset IEA CIVED from 1999 of 14 years old in schools. The statistical methods used are regression analysis and multilevel analysis.

The findings will provide an international evidence base for policymakers and practicioners in Europe of the successful methods and barriers that exist in the learning of the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes needed for active citizenship.