Developing Critical Global-Citizenship through a Social Innovation project in an Elementary School

Abstract

Social Innovation Learning offers a transformative approach to education which requires the development of skills through participative actions aimed at furthering social justice and critical global citizenship. This study highlights the importance of a participative decision-making methodology within the Social Innovation Learning Framework established as part of the European NEMESIS Project. All the pupils and teaching staff at a primary school took part in this project together with families and other stakeholders. Information was collected using field diaries, written accounts, interviews and focus groups. Results show that learning was achieved in all the skills that make up the three dimensions of the model and the various interrelations between them. The methodological criteria facilitated collective decision-making, with pupils making a commitment to improving the world from a local and global perspective.

Keywords

• critical citizenship education, social innovation education, primary school, participation, democratic education