Country Report: Civics Courses in the German Democratic Republic (GDR): A Case Study in the History of Curriculum and Educational Research

Abstract

Civics courses in the German Democratic Republic (GDR, or East Germany) were intended to educate students to become socialist personalities. The didactical and ideological structure of the course, however, created internal contradictions that turned civics into an “impossible” course. This case study offers a model for conducting educational research into a single course curriculum using a multi-perspective analysis.

Keywords

• Civics
• teachers
• students
• education
• teaching
• practice
• learning
• reception
• indoctrination
• German Democratic Republic
• Marxism-Leninism
• opposition
• methodology
• didactics
• pedagogy
• multi-perspective