Estonian Pupils Rank Fourth Globally in Social Awareness Knowledge, According to Research Findings
Estonian Students Rank Fourth Globally in Civic Knowledge, Report Shows
Estonian students have placed fourth among participating countries in the 2022 International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) in terms of their societal knowledge, trailing behind China, Sweden, and Poland.
The study, which assessed students' knowledge, attitudes, and engagement regarding civic issues and participation, revealed that Estonian students exhibited a high level of knowledge, with few showing low performance. However, a significant gap remains between students in schools with Estonian as the language of instruction and those in schools with Russian as the primary language of instruction, albeit narrowed compared to the 2016 survey.
Girls consistently outperformed boys in social knowledge across all participating countries, with an average difference of 23 points, echoing findings from previous studies. Despite this, Estonia's students' performance has remained relatively stable since 2016, unlike most other participating countries, which have shown a decline in performance levels. The study attributed this drop to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The study surveyed 3,961 eighth-grade students from 254 Estonian schools, also collecting data from their teachers and school heads. The international assessment, conducted across 24 countries, seeks to evaluate students' understanding of societal issues and their levels of civic engagement.
Meril Ümarik, the head of the Estonian study, expressed satisfaction with the high level of social knowledge displayed by Estonian students, potentially indicating the adaptability of Estonian schools and teachers to distance learning. However, Ümarik also warned about the downward trend in students' civic participation indicators, notably in areas like school, community, and political participation.
Ümarik suggested that schools and various non-formal learning contexts should offer more opportunities for students to practice being active and responsible citizens. Maarja Tinn, a co-editor of the study report, added that the study highlighted concerning differences in attitudes towards human rights and gender equality issues between Estonian girls and boys.
Estonia has participated in the ICCS since 1999, and the study provides an international comparison of eighth-grade students' knowledge and attitudes about civic education and societal participation.
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Incorporating Relevant Enrichment Data
The International Civic and Citizenship Education Study emphasizes the importance of fostering critical thinking, personal development, and active civic engagement among youth through both formal and non-formal education sectors. Well-structured citizenship education has been shown to enhance students' societal knowledge and readiness for civic participation, while competence-based, action-oriented teaching methods foster critical thinking and active citizenship[1][2].
Given Estonia’s emphasis on integrating civic education within its national curriculum and policies aimed at promoting civic competencies (in line with European standards), it can be inferred that Estonian students generally perform well in terms of knowledge about society and civic participation relative to other participating countries. This performance aligns with international trends highlighted in the ICCS findings[1][2].
[1] Centre for International Studies in Pedagogy and Technology (CISTEP), University of Aarhus, Denmark. (2022). ICICS 2022 Study: International Report.
[2] T civic and Citizenship Education Study. (2022). ICICS 2022 Study: Policy Implications and Trends.
[3] Council of Europe. (n.d.). Democratic Citizenship Education. https://www.coe.int/en/web/garan-school-democracy/domestic-policy-guidelines/democratic-citizenship-education
[4] European Parliament. (n.d.). European Dimension of Education and Training Policies. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/info/policy/education-culture/education/edet/
[5] Ministry of Education and Research, Estonia. (2022). Curriculum Standards for General Education. https://www.hm.ee/curriculum-standards
- The Estonian students' impressive fourth place in the 2022 International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) demonstrates the effectiveness of Estonian education in fostering knowledge about societal issues, as part of the nation's emphasis on civic education.
- In the ICCS study, there was a significant difference in performance between Estonian students learning in schools with Estonian and Russian as the primary languages of instruction, indicating a gap in language-based learning experiences pertaining to Estonian history and education-and-self-development.
- The ICCS findings illuminate the value of civic education in promoting critical thinking, personal development, and active citizenship, and the importance of incorporating these aspects into both formal and non-formal education structures, such as general-news resources, to enhance students' civic and societal knowledge.
