A conceptual understanding of civics education in Spain and the United States: a systematic review

Abstract

INTRODUCTION. How does one learn to live with others? What does it mean to be a citizen in a liberal democracy? How do we ensure the future of fragile democratic institutions? Civics education, the formative activity of training young generations to take part in society by way of encouraging active and informed participation in their democratic society, is an area of study long tied to the quest of answering these questions. METHOD AND RESULTS. Through a systematic review, the current article describes the conceptual evolution of civics education in Spain and the United States in the years 2000-2020. Eighty-four articles were included in the revision and were analyzed and coded qualitatively. Momentous events in both countries are juxtaposed with the academic publications in an effort to track shifts, inflection points, and changes of foci within the fields of study. DISCUSSION. The current article outlines the historical events in each country, such as the anti-austerity movement in Spain and the events of September 11th, as potential milestones within the conceptual evolution of the literature on civics education. This article represents the first phase of a larger research project contextualizing relevant historical events within the body of research in the fields of education, political science, and sociology as it relates to the study of civics education.