Topic: The project focuses on the experiences with “Innovative forms of Bildung” an initiative for supporting democratic participation by “political education” of citizens. In many western democratic societies, much energy is taken into democratic education, but the traditional offered educational initiatives, programs, courses etc., in adult political education seems to reach mainly those who are already interested and educated. This program initiated by the Land Rhineland-Palatinate, seeks to encourage and involve the citizens to critical, constructive, democratic reflection and action, specifically addressing adults e. g. by including other cultural agents or institutions e.g., theatre events, art performance as well as testing new forms and media for instance internet-based offers. To show results, experts, that is, leaders and decision-makers in adult and further education involved in this strategic, political innovative education project are used as respondents (n =11). 

Framework and background:  The background for this initiative can be seen in current political developments which call for democratic action. For several years and currently, the number of xenophobic, anti-Semitic and anti-democratic activities not just in Germany is increasing. Quite right-wing oriented political parties successfully take part in elections and have representatives in the parliament on the national level and in regional state parliaments if federal or community organized. For instance, in the so-called “social-media” the hate-crime can be experienced every day.  In 2019, a conservative politician was assassinated in Hessen (state in Germany) and the Jewish community in Halle as well was attacked during a Jom-Kippur-celebration. This made decisionmakers aware that democracy, tolerance, and cosmopolitanism are in danger and that action is to be taken. ​

Therefore, on the federal level, in Rhineland Palatinate, programs of political, democratic education were enlarged, and public funding is still increasing. The still running program “Innovative forms of political education”  started in 2017. The aim of this program is to address citizens to participate in courses and other activities that deal with political questions. At least the intention is to encourage citizens to act in favour of democracy, tolerance, and cosmopolitanism. The current experience shows that traditional forms and courses of political education to ensure democratic understanding and active participation are not successful enough to reach these aims. One paradigm in political, democratic education is the so-called  ‘Beutelsbach Consensus‘: „About us but not without us“.

Objective: Experts, that is, leaders and decision-makers in adult and further education should be inspired and motivated to developed and conduct new measures and innovative forms of political education. These innovations  seek to encourage and involve the citizens to critical, constructive, democratic action, specifically addressing adults e. g. by including other cultural agents or institutions. For instance, theatre events, art performance as well as by trying out new forms and mediation of courses as well as internet-based offers. ​Summarized documentary reports written by the projects innovators, are used for the document analysis. Interviews are conducted as well related to the existing aims and criteria within this  program as well as on theory of political education to support democratic participation. ​

Research question: The evaluation study analyses in which way and quality these measures could have been accomplished. These are derived from the program’s original guidelines for becoming funded as project. The research questions ask:  (a) about the methodological and andragogical political triggers that made these activties work i.e. that the audience was reached, (b) what the pre-requisites and conditions have been for the innovators to develop and conduct these courses and events regrading the objectives they have formulated in their funding proposal.

The research project’s method makes use of a triangulation approach. Qualitative interviews of 11 respondents within this project will be analyzed by the constant comparative method using NVivo software. A document analysis by the summarized result reports written by the project-owners themselves, who are the respondents, will be applied for the triangulation of the interview data. The interview guide is constructed deductively on existing aims and criteria within this pilot program, the document analysis, as well as on the theory of political education to support democratic participation and reflective action (Klein & Müller, 2016; Hufer, 2016; Negt, 2010, Sant, 2021).​To better contextualize the conditions and prerequisites needed for to succeed with the innovative extracurricular activities a quantitative questionnaire is accompanying the study which is not yet analyzed.

By the already conducted preliminary pilot analysis with a selection of cases (n=4) a working hypothesis is formulated: Political education in Germany has to enlarge its methods, its topics, and its marketing in specific ‘by places’. Its structure and processes will have to include ‘aufsuchende Bildungsarbeit’ that is looking for and addressing to potential participants by useful cooperation partners to offer political, democratic participative education opportunities (see Becker, 2011, p. 167). Otherwise, it will be very difficult to reach out more participants and to encourage people for daily political engagement and finally active and democratic participation. This preliminary analysis (4 og 11) showed for now the following findings for a democratic-participative education (Civic Education) with low threshold on that what works as triggers for new and unplanned audience:​ ​•Low treshold for new groups lead to accidentally showed up participants (e.g., hospital) •Art as an innovative element worked as a trigger for attracting people (e.g., exhibition, immigrants’ portraits)​ •A „take away-effect“ of the of the immigrants' portraits (book publication) was used as present for visitors of the small town​ •A good network as backbone for the facilitators is important (formal and informal)​ •Perceived safety for the facilitators: Financial and conceptual variances and discrepancies regarding the planned vs the actual implantation of the event/course were allowed​. The complete evaluation of all innovations in this study (n=11) in the program will be conducted. The qualitative inductive analysis by the codes will be reworked. A interraterrilabilty rating will be added. This completion will add important knowledge for future enactment and implementation of political education.​ as well a quantitative questionnaire over all innovations will be added to better contextualiize this educational endavour.

Becker, H. (2011). Praxisforschung nutzen, politische Bildung weiterentwickeln. Studie zur Gewinnung und Nutzbarmachung von empirischen Erkenntnissen für die politische Bildung in Deutschland. Teil 1. www.adb.de/node/248 Hufer, K.-P. (2016). Politische Erwachsenenbildung. Plädoyer für eine vernachlässigte Disziplin. W. Bertelsmann: Bielefeld. Klein, A. & Müller, M. (2016). Demokratische Mitte oder Bad Civil Society. In Krause, D. & Zick, A. & Küpper, B. (eds.). Gespaltene Mitte - Feindselige Zustände: Rechtsextreme Einstellungen in Deutschland 2016 (pp. 185-201). Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung by R. Melzer. Andreas Zick / Beate Küpper. Krause, D. & Zick, A. & Küpper, B. (eds.)(2021). Die geforderte Mitte. Rechtsextreme und demokratiegefährdende Einstellungen in Deutschland 2020/21. Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung by F. Schrøter. Muñoz, L. & Spruck Wrigley, H. (eds)(2012). Adult Civic Engagement in Adult Learning. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, No 135. Negt, O. (2010). Der politische Mensch. Demokratie als Lebensform. Steidl Verlag: Göttingen. Programme (n.d.). Innovative Formate der politischen Erwachsenenbildung. Ministery of Science, Education and Further Education (2019). https://mwwk.rlp.de/de/service/pressemitteilungen/detail/news/News/detail/land-schreibt-foerderungen-fuer-innovative-weiterbildungsmassnahmen-in-der-politischen-erwachsenenbild/ Sant, E. (2021). Political Education in Times of Populism. Towards a Radical Democratic Education. Palgrave Macmillan. Springer Link. Strand, T. (ed)(2020). Rethinking Ethical-Political Education. Springer Link.