The concept of Populism has been identified as a challenge to democracy, tolerance, and European values (Bugaric, 2020). This joint paper explores the context, curriculum and teaching methodologies related to addressing issues associated with the rise of populism in Europe. 

The paper describes the interim findings of a research initiative hosted by CitEdEv, a pan-European research network, which is supported by the European Commission’s Jean Monet Programme. The research project team consists of researchers from the UK, Ireland, Greece and the Republic of North Macedonia. The larger research network brings together experts from 28 institutions from across 19 European countries concerned with and committed to developing all children’s and young people’s active citizenship in line with fundamental European values. The project seeks to make EU citizenship education relevant to a context in which many children and young people are anxious and concerned about their futures in the face of populism, xenophobia, divisive nationalism, discrimination, fake news and misinformation, as well as the challenge of radicalisation. 

Schools are considered to play an important role as institutions educating young people about democratic principles and serve as niches for the development of civic engagement (Hüning, 2022). The broad conceptualisation of civic education is often used to describe ‘the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that children are expected to learn to be virtuous and civically productive members of society’ (Levinson, 2014, p.1). Echoing this year’s ECER conference theme (The Value of Diversity in Education and Educational Research) this timely research outlines the views and perspectives of educationalists working with young people in the classroom. As Biesta (2020) states 'education for democracy raises awareness of ourselves and others, how we act in society, our freedom and the limits that our living together poses to our own freedom’ (p.96).

Contribution to the European dimension – As part of the Jean Monet network this research project aims to contribute to the will operationalising of the Paris Declaration of March 17 2015 (Eurydice, 2016) agreed upon by EU Education Ministers and Commissioner Navracsics promoting citizenship and common values through education, which identified the ‘urgent need to cooperate and coordinate, to exchange experiences, and to ensure that the best ideas and practices can be shared throughout the European Union. Using the Paris objectives as a framework, CitEdEv will compare and contrast the definitions, perceptions and implementation of European values in formal and informal education settings and in their different national and institutional contexts and identify ways to enhance best practices.

The aim of the research is to view the initial findings in the context of international and pan-European trends. The research aims to include a comparative element taking in parallel research by the  CitEdEV partners in a number of EU member and accession countries. The research will recognise that best practices must reflect the experiences and voices of all.

Phase 1 of the research (2021-2022) developed the methodological and conceptual framework used by the research consortium. One of the objectives of the research is to make a practical contribution that supports those working in education and young people’s organisations as they face the populist challenge. It will do this by collating an evidential base from academic, government and civil society research that will inform best practice and identify gaps where policy and practice have and has not been successful. The broader Network’s activities and research will be shaped to address these lacunae. The data will be triangulated with secondary analysis of literature, expert interviews, and case studies. Purposive sampling was applied to the target population, ensuring a range of experiences, genders, school-type and governance. During the interviews, teachers were asked about their understanding of the term populism, if and how it featured in the formal and informal activities of the school, what resources teachers might need to teach about this idea and how education systems might respond to the threats and challenges posed by populism to EU values and to previously accepted notions of knowledge-formation, understanding and expertise.

Some of the initial findings outline that teachers need to be responsive and flexible in addressing real-world issues e.g. (the Ukraine crisis, climate change and refugee issues). Respondents from some of the partner countries had a limited understanding of the concept of populism. Others stated that it is not relevant to education, but rather related to institutional politics. Some teachers who are aware of the rise and influence of populism are in a minority and can, at times, feel isolated. Interestingly, in relation to European values, some teachers blame the EU as a cause of populism (e.g: accession in North Macedonia, and austerity in Greece). Emerging from the data was the concept of the differences between education institutions, the formal curriculum, and the wider political/social culture, particularly in these fast-changing times where political national and European events can determine societal and individual responses. The data also revealed that there are significant differences in scope and opinion depending on the educational discipline of the teacher. The analysis of the findings may help to enable teachers to respond skilfully and quickly to a wider populist political culture in their home countries.

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