Active Citizenship in the Political Realm: The Case of Australian Secondary School Students

Abstract

For democratic societies to sustain, the participation of young people in political realm is of high significance, yet research suggests that adolescents are rather passive citizens. This article examines the behaviors and behavior-related attitudes of young Australians over the past almost two decades. Given significant developments in Australian civics education with regard to policy, curriculum and implementation, this article adds to the understanding of the long-term developments and potential influences of civics and citizenship education in Australia. Various data sources suggest that civics and citizenship education may have made little difference in the long term with respect to active citizenship in political realms, though we also identify promising trends that may reflect general developments rather than outcomes of civics and citizenship education. We discuss our analysis with regard to the need of long-term commitment of politics and teachers as well as deficits and further influences in civics and citizenship education outcomes.