1. INTRODUCTION

One of the outcomes in the AFSSSE Contract is

• To provide early advice to the Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs (DEETYA) on key issues related to teacher professional development in Discovering Democracy.

One of the deliverables is

• To provide written advice to DEETYA on key issues related to professional development needs for Discovering Democracy through the teacher focus groups, subject associations, systems contacts and AFSSSE partners.

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AFSSSE has implemented civics and citizenship focus groups across Australia by involving state and territory professional associations in the management of meetings. 246 teachers met to evaluate the Discovering Democracy civics and citizenship materials being developed by Curriculum Corporation, and to consider future professional development needs. AFSSSE has also had input into civics and citizenship professional development proposals through subject associations and systems contacts.

The purpose of this report is to

• increase awareness of the professional development needs of teachers in relation to civics and citizenship education and use of the Discovering Democracy materials
• provide information for DEETYA, Curriculum Corporation, AFSSSE and its affiliates to use when developing professional programs to meet the needs of teachers
• highlight the need for and nature of further projects related to teacher professional development in civics and citizenship education.

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3. OVERALL SUMMARY OF FOCUS GROUP COMMENTS
Teachers will make decisions about using the Discovering Democracy materials based on their assessment of the relevance of the subject matter and the quality of the contribution of the materials to effective teaching and learning. As the materials do not and probably cannot meet the needs of all teachers in all situations, teachers must be given time to become familiar with those elements which suit their classrooms and time to develop strategies which engage learners.

Teachers at the focus group meetings consistently requested time to learn from and share with colleagues. This would be an expensive exercise unless a mixture of teacher release, networking and electronic communication could be integrated. Teachers value receiving appropriate resources and need to consider them in relation to Discovering Democracy.

Teachers also expressed a need to work together to match local curriculum expectations with the outcomes which could be achieved by using the Discovering Democracy materials. In essence, unless teachers can quickly identify how the materials can be used and add value to in their present programs, the materials may not have the preferred or intended take up in schools.

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VICTORIA
All teachers of civics and citizenship need inservice, with sufficient funding to meet the needs of country and metropolitan teachers (accommodation, travel). Principals, heads of department and classroom teachers should be targeted.

Teachers need professional development on how to deal with politically sensitive issues. Workshops could include speakers and materials from organisations such as ‘Red Cross’, ‘Amnesty International’ ‘Timorese Association’.

Professional development should be delivered in association with the SOSE SAV and not be only discipline specific. A kit for schools should be developed – include theoretical components and background knowledge. Timing of inservice is important.

Suggest half-day sessions and networking so communication continues between teachers to keep up interest.

Professional associations should maintain teacher interest through journals, inservice, web page/networks. Use networks to reach small clusters of staff in schools.

Time release is essential. Teachers should have time to review material before professional development meetings. Professional development needs to be school based inservice for years 4, 5 6 (four days presently) and needs a fifth day for civics and citizenship education. There should be opportunities for a mix of primary and lower secondary teachers in zones, and follow up is essential after professional development meetings.

Sharing experiences is essential. Teachers need to access best practice models. They need to determine why they are using the materials – where do the topics fit in the curriculum? Inquiry approach needs to be modelled. Workshops should include teams of teachers, mentors, and models for reflection. Professional development programs must also include teams, and must be done in school hours. Train the trainer is not the best model.

Teacher professional associations need to be involved and need funding. Schools need funding to release teachers. Inservice should be used to ‘collect’ materials – rather than materials being sent out. The ELIC CLP model works well (is expensive but change happens).

It is very difficult to learn how to use the materials when only one copy is provided to each school.

NEW SOUTH WALES
(Extracted from NSW Focus Group report)
The professional development program should link to the NSW syllabus requirements and an overview of desired outcomes should be established. Teachers need a Content outline in comprehensive form and information on supporting resources or organisations to access information.

Workshops should be used to establish item banks of lessons, activities, publications etc. Links should be established between primary and secondary, and amongst the different professional associations contributing to SOSE, so that overlap can be avoided, and best practice identified.

One form of support would be in the form of district consultants or trained trainers available to come into schools to support professional development and respond to specific school needs. Federal and State Governments could co-operate to establish a section within Curriculum Directorate to support the implementation of civics

education. Teachers could also gain assistance at state conferences, professional journals, and district level inservice meetings.

The provision of professional development will be crucial to successful implementation, however teachers were quite adamant that existing models of

provision would be unacceptable, including the "train the trainer" model, after hours workshops or short sessions on crowded school development days.

Suggestions for more effective training and development include:

• School development days devoted to civics education, providing strategies for teaching civics and for effective use of available resources
• District inservice to keep teachers up to date and to provide opportunities to share ideas, co-ordinate primary and secondary schools approaches to avoid overlap
• Provision for introducing parents/community to civics education
• Relief days for developing school based programs/units/relevant resources
• Training for teachers to use Internet resources where necessary
• State conference devoted to civics education

Professional associations, which already have the networks and the expertise, should be supported to organise and conduct professional development courses relevant to

their particular syllabuses. Professional associations should be supported to publish ideas for programming civics and effective strategies for teaching and learning.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA
(Notes provided by groups at the focus group meeting)
Primary teachers stated that it is critical for them to have professional development as they felt that there was a need for prior knowledge before any of these materials could be delivered within the classroom. Primary teachers also suggested the primary and secondary materials should be packaged so primary teachers could use the secondary materials for their own professional development.

Group reports suggest a preference for ‘train the trainer’ model for each school, although this conflicts with some individual reports. Other suggestions included using the ‘Building Bridges Model – Access Asia Program’. As a minimum it was suggested there must be at least one expert in each school to train others.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA
(Notes provided by groups at the focus group meeting)

The type of PD will depend on the final format of the material. If the materials remain as they are, significant support will have to be provided to teachers so they can adapt the materials to local needs. Time is of the essence – time to read, to become familiar, to link to existing courses. Inservice of teachers will be critical especially concerning methodology and it was suggested that teachers who have trialled materials would be most suited to the task. Professional development needs to extend to country areas. Set up a: "Train the Teacher" program where teachers can return to

the regions and inservice other teachers after completing an intensive professional development program themselves. Workshops need to have teachers working through the materials as students would. This would allow teachers to experience any potential difficulties and problems and discuss useful teaching and learning strategies to cater for a wide range of abilities.

There were several suggestions for the type of professional development. Teachers should be able to seek release time to examine the materials and consider how to integrate them into the existing curriculum and how to adapt them to suit the needs of their students. Teachers will need to improve their knowledge about the legal system and parliament. Workshops on methodology particularly in a middle school setting and on how resource based learning can be applied would be of value. Perhaps a one day workshop for each of the levels eg lower secondary to demonstrate how the materials could be used, sharing proformas of teachers’ programs and exemplars which need to be produced and even seeing the teaching of units being modelled. There needs to be opportunities for discussion, debate, sharing of current practice, learning about new methodologies, especially using information technology.

QUEENSLAND
(Notes provided by groups at the focus group meeting)
Professional development programs need to be available to a wide variety and large numbers of teachers, administrators and support personnel, rather than the ‘ripple effect’. It is important for primary and secondary teachers to work together.

Programs need to include examples of how the materials can be linked to the local curriculum. Teachers need time to make decisions to suit their own classrooms. Quality release time is needed, rather than working after school. Sessions should include sharing trail teacher experiences.

To ensure long term benefits from the professional development programs, networks should be developed so best practice can be shared. Professional associations should be funded so they can be effective PD providers. Professional associations have established structures to facilitate the process. However, as many primary teachers do not belong to professional associations there needs to be alternative methods of delivery

It is equally important to spend money on disseminating the units as writing them.

TASMANIA
(Extracted from group report)
Professional development programs should provide time for teachers to apply a smorgasbord approach, that is allow time for teachers to select those activities which suit their particular environments and to develop a schools civics program. A matrix which identifies the key ideas of the units and links with the activities would assist teachers in their planning. Note specific examples in the next section, Individual Comments.

NORTHERN TERRITORY
Teachers will not be able to use the materials unless time is given to design programs which provide opportunities for students to demonstrate attainment of outcomes in terms of the NT Outcomes Profile mediated through the use of the Course of Study. This must be integrated into all the other demands on teachers as they design their programs.

Professional development is needed to avoid the trap of believing teachers have to persist with trying to instruct students using these resources instead of changing them/using them when students are ready. Teachers could be excused for thinking the materials are relevant to most classrooms, given the scale of the project.

Teachers will need assistance to understand how to get the best from the materials and understand where and how they support the NT curriculum. A lot of discussion centred on how to overcome distance, cost, lack of release-time, lack of relief teachers in some centres, teacher-burnout, delivery to whole staff/interested people after work in a block or over a series of weeks, putting readings out to people electronically through the University and how best to reward teachers who wanted to learn more (new strategies and resources were all some people wanted: others wanted credit for completion of some kind of study.) The Social Education/Business Education/Environment Education annual May conference will be used to start some of this work.

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
The ACT DEETYA PD program which provides education in Political theory on the ANU course model should be continued. Professional associations should also organise teacher workshops frequently. Occasional workshops on specific units led by experts could also be run by professional associations. PD programs could also include consultation with SOSEPA members, teams of teachers working in schools, visits to schools by trial teachers, departmental central courses, inspirational SOSE dinners with expert speakers, use of the system PD day, LUAC (Language for Understanding across the Curriculum) style workshops with mentors and one to one experiences included.

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• Release time is needed for teachers well before using the materials arrive. There should be time for reading, and reflection before inservice activities are conducted.
• Inservice needs to include methodology
• Prefer workshops using the materials
• The type of PD will depend on how the materials are finally presented
• Without time to read the materials, there is a risk materials will not be used
• Need time to determine how the materials will integrate with existing curriculum expectations
• Some teachers will have little understanding of some units
• Exemplars and models on how to use the materials could be produced
• Need workshops with lots of discussion, debate, sharing of current practice, learning about new methodologies, using technology and link all this to using the materials.

• PD to include insights into the dynamics of group work and cooperative learning
• PD needs to be in school time when teachers are invigorated – not after six hours of teaching
• Should include classroom teachers, not just key teachers
• Need time to absorb, discuss, trial, reflect on the documents
• PD is needed for all relevant staff and needs outside expert assistance
• Need time to trial the materials and share experiences
• Need assistance on how to link the materials to other curriculum documents
• Would be beneficial if experts could visit the school to assist in understanding how to use the materials
• Cluster groups to workshop with input from experts and trial teachers, and then a conference for follow up. Need a project officer to visit the schools.
• Professional associations need funding to organise professional development
• Teacher networks are needed
• Need a SOSE professional association in our area
• Some teachers will need assistance in using technology
• Begin with SOSE teachers and include effective learning and teaching strategies
• Need examples of practical strategies for the classroom
• Need time to determine which ‘bits’ to use
• Need time to match learning outcomes in the materials with learning outcomes in our syllabus documents
• Primary and secondary teachers to work together in PD setting
• Important to have input from the trial teachers
• Timing is important – as many teachers as possible to receive the information at the same time. Beginning of year is the best time.

• Need workshops enabling small group discussion – sharing of ideas, experiences of what has, has not, will and will not work
• Need time to decide what to omit
• Without workshops, the material will not be used
• School based seminars where possible
• Need additional support materials/references and K-8 cluster groups to discuss
• Need to learn skills when dealing with sensitive issues
• Need to know how to link with current curriculum and what works in the trial schools
• Need assistance with teaching strategies, and knowledge of some content
• Will need professional associations, teachers and the department to keep this dialogue going
• Professional development days to read and reflect on the materials and plan units of work
• Time to meet to share ideas on how units can be implemented
• PD needs to be spread out and tied to other specific resources as well as these materials

• Will need to be kept constantly up to date with issues and resources
• Time release during teaching hours
• Models needed
• Primary teachers will need assistance with some of the content
• PD should be stimulating, interesting
• Huge amount of PD needed
• Need lots of PD to avoid negative attitude to having to deal with the amount of material
• Need ongoing PD, networking, and in school time
• Need assistance in using the CD effectively
• Teachers will need to know the ‘what’, ‘why’ and ‘how’ when using this material
• Someone to lead PD and take responsibility
• Time to become familiar with the material
• All staff including the Principal should be involved
• PD for teams of teachers from one school
• Need public debate on the usefulness of the materials

• Workshops and networking
• Academic inservice
• Expert delivery of information
• Professional associations to be involved
• Continuing education seminars to help with theory
• Training in use of materials and appropriate strategies
• Materials will need constant updating to make them ‘teacher friendly’
• All teachers must receive PD
• Inservice for school groups
• Need to know how materials will fit with existing curriculum
• Need PD to understand the ‘big picture’ and how to use the units
• Need resource lists to support the units and more audio-visual material
• Need assistance with integrating across other KLAs
• Mentoring involving practical use of source materials as opposed to theory from talking heads
• More background to support the units
• Money must be made available for PD
• Need to have hands on experience followed up with PD
• Need to include teacher reference resource book and a student activity/skills book

• PD needs to be varied, but knowledge and resource information needed
• Need to show SOSE teachers the links between literacy, materials and NT profile outcomes/Social Education Guidelines.
• Need PD which includes adaptation of ESL requirements, and inclusiveness
• Need to see development of good teaching/learning sequences
• Shortage of relief teachers a problem
• Need a project officer to develop an effective PD program
• Every school needs some inservice
• It is pointless delivering the kits without providing inservice
• Teachers need to be convinced to use these materials
• PD is a huge issue when looking at these materials

• Teachers will need background information and knowledge
• Need a regional coordinator to provide ongoing support
• Need opportunities for in-depth hands-on use of practical activities
• At least two teachers from each school need to be involved
• Teacher relief funds needed
• Opportunities to share experiences and talk through materials
• Need information on the content when the ‘course’ ready for use
• Time to read prior to implementation
• PD before using the materials and after using them
• Time is a very important resource; also communication with other teachers
• Need facilitator with expert knowledge to deliver PD
• Time to know how to motivate students
• Need PD on every unit and on integrating the units into the existing curriculum
• Whole school needs to be involved
• Need to link all four groups: middle primary etc
• ‘Train the trainer’ may not be the most effective
• Need assistance to effectively use the CD
• Workshops, collaboration between schools when using similar materials
• Need time to plan how to make the materials interesting

• Best practice examples needed
• Clear outcomes to be stated taking part in inservice activities
• Student resources needed to support materials in PD situations
• Will need lots of PD for everyone
• TAD at school or district level
• Should be in school hours but with external consultants/resource expert providing assistance
• Should include opportunities to gain knowledge of new content and should be K-10
• More dialogue needed
• Professional associations need to be funded to promote the integrated use of the materials
• Need more training and development meetings so those classroom teachers can share ideas and resources.
• Must involve professional associations
• Inservice must link materials to other state syllabus documents
• Money and time must be given to inservice
• Primary teachers will need significant assistance with content
• Professional associations should be funded to develop materials particular to this state.
• Specific suggestions about implementation are needed
• Once materials are released, professional association could be funded to produce programs, teaching ideas etc to show how to use what is relevant.

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5. AFSSSE REPRESENTATIVES WORKING AT A SYSTEMS LEVEL
AFSSSE has representatives on state/territory intersystemic committees formed to address the needs of professional development when using the Discovering Democracy materials. The representatives are:

The following notes summarise State/Territory Proposals for professional development. As the proposals are implemented more detailed information will be collected by the Project Officer from the AFSSSE representatives and shared with relevant groups.

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Professional Development – NSW – Discovering Democracy
AFSSSE Representative:

Kate Cameron
School of Education
Macquarie University 2109
Phone: 02 9850 7717

• the provision of topical papers,
• developing and maintaining an Internet site
• conducting local workshops
• providing an advanced professional development program using school, university, professional partnership
• best practice conferences
• employment of a part time project officer

These initiatives to be conducted over a three year period to 2000.

The Advanced Professional Development course will be characterised by

• development of knowledge, skills and attitudes relevant to the delivery of Discovering Democracy materials
• construction of theoretical models of teaching and learning, capitalising on current research theory and best practice
• examination of present, past and future perspectives in relation to Discovering Democracy themes
• making explicit links between Discovering Democracy materials and NSW syllabus requirements
• workshops developing best practice programs and strategies, and
• support o teachers I implementation phase by professional development

The course will be developed by the HSIE K-6 Council, Geography Teachers Association NSW, History Teachers Association NSW and Sydney University in consultation with regional universities and professional associations.

The course will be delivered by academics and members of professional associations to a pilot of 30 teachers. The course will have:

• 2 days of intensive professional development
• independent implementation in classrooms
• support in school by local partners, and
• 1 day at end of course sharing successful practices, critically evaluating classroom implementation and identifying promising strategies and pedagogical directions.

Further courses will be delivered to successful applicants. Results will be disseminated through project web sites and relevant journals.

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Membership of Co-ordinating Committee:
AFSSSE Representative
Kate Cameron (details as above)

The Association of Independent Schools, NSW Ltd
Julie Thompson, Director of Professional Development
9^th Floor
75 King Street
Sydney 2000
Phone: 02 9299 2845

NSW Department of Education and Training
John Gore, Chief Education Officer, Human Society and its Environment
Curriculum Directorate
3a Smalls Road
Ryde 2112
Phone: 02 9886 7603

Catholic Education Commission, NSW
Mark Askew, Manager, Equity and Targeted Programs
PO Box A169
Sydney South NSW 1235
Phone: 02 9287 1555

Discovering Democracy Academic Consortium
Dr Rhonda Craven
Faculty of Education
University of Sydney 2006
Phone: 02 9351 6379

Civics Project Officer (to be appointed)

Curriculum Directorate
NSW Department of Education and Training
3a Smalls Road
Ryde NSW 2112
Phone: 02 9886 7646

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AFSSSE representative:
Erika Parkinson
Lyneham Primary School
Brigalow St
Lyneham 2602
Phone 02 6205 6510

• provision of part time officer for organisational tasks
• release of teachers
• presentations at SOSE Summer School
• ANU pilot project

The project will provide support for the SOSE Professional Association, especially in relation to the annual SOSE Summer school, and the provision of professional development in civics and citizenship, Discovering Democracy.

A four-day intensive training will be available for 30 selected teachers through the ANU Politic Dept in collaboration with leading classroom practitioners. Training will include knowledge of the development of Australia’s system of government and the application of the Discovering Democracy materials. Follow up introductory presentations for other teachers will occur by using system Professional Development days, cluster PD days and after school meetings. Half and one day workshops will be available for all prospective teachers using the Discovering Democracy materials. Further intensive training will be provided for new tutor-teachers subject to the evaluation report.

Many teachers who will be using the materials in the classroom will not have a solid background in Australian politics. This project aims to improve the quality of teaching and learning in civics and citizenship, especially when using the Discovering Democracy materials.

Peter Hughes
ACT Catholic Education Office
PO Box 3317
Manuka 2603
Phone: 02 6234 5455

Joyce Hill
ACT Independent Schools
42 Tyrrell Ct
Kaleen 2617
Phone: 02 6241 2329

Prof Kerry Kennedy
Academic Consortium, Education
University of Canberra
PO Box 1
Belconnen ACT 2617
Tel: 02 6201 5083

Rosemary Richards
O’Connell Centre (for Aust. Council of Ed Centres)
PO Box 44
Griffith ACT 2603
Tel: 02 6205 8259

David Ellis
Australian Principals Association
Wanniassa High School
Wheeler Cres
Wanniassa 2903
Tel: 02 6205 6200

Allan Hird
Director School Programs
ACTDET
Tel: 02 6205 9206

Helga McPhie
Manager, Studies Section
ACTDET
Tel: 02 6205 9382

Julia Ryan
Asst Manager, Studies Section
ACTDET
Tel: 02 6205 8533

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AFSSSE representative:

Jo-Anne Cameron
The Gap State High School
PO Box 1
The Gap 4061
Tel: 07 3300 1822

Project Officer:
Murray Campbell
murray.campbell@qed.qld.gov.au
Floor 19 Education House
30 Mary Street
Brisbane 40000
Tel: 07 3237 0955

• establishment of a Coordinating Committee
• Senior Project Officer appointed to coordinate a comprehensive professional development program
• teacher conferences and teleconferences
• additional project officers may develop professional development materials at each phase during 1998/99
• materials produced will be based on data gathered through a professional development needs survey
• an audit of existing school based civics and citizenship programs
• professional development plan designed and distributed
• tenders to be called for the development of professional development materials and professional development programs for schools
• publication and distribution of supporting resource materials via the web site, established networks and workshops.

Peter Rogers
Association of Independent Schools Qld
PO Box 957
Spring Hill 4004
Tel: 07 3839 2122

Dr Don Alexander
Discovering Democracy Academics Consortium
Faculty of Education
University of Qld
Brisbane 4072
Tel: 07 3365 6658

Mr Peter Miller
Education Queensland
PO Box 33
Brisbane Albert Street 4002
Tel: 07 3237 0886

Ms Judy Gardiner
Queensland Catholic Education Commission
GPO Box 2441
Brisbane 4001
Tel: 07 3224 3306

Mr Gary Cislowski
Australian Council of State School Organisations
PO Box 21
Albion 4010
Tel: 07 3262 3400

Ms Dora Luxton
Australian Principal’s Association PD Council
St Michaels College
Jondique Avenue
Carrara 4221
Tel: 07 5530 2722

Mr Howard Nielsen
Brisbane Education Centre
36 Rose Street
Wooloowin 4030
Tel: 07 3857 2999

Ms Patricia Waldby
Australian Parents Council (Qld)
239 Swann Road
Taringa 4068
Tel: 07 3870 8576

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AFSSSE Representative:
Ros McMillan
Ros.McMillan@DWNOPSN.NTED.nt.gov.au
NT - program being planned. Louise Finch, Principal Education Officer, Social Education
(Phone 8999 6285) may have more information.

The professional association SEANT may also have information on professional development activities.

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AFSSSE representative:
Meredith Wright
C/- St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School
PO Box 105
KARRINYUP 6018
Phone/Fax in table above

WA Project Coordinator:
Geraldine Ditchburn
Phone 08 9368 1058
As from 30 June Phone and Fax 08 9367 3393
Linked to HTAWA web site as from 30 June

• Professional development coordinator appointed to provide information sessions to teachers
• Resource and training files to be developed to link the Discovering Democracy materials to WA Curriculum Framework and WA civics and citizenship resources already developed
• Train the trainer version of the files to be produced
• Cross-sectoral trainers trained
• Courses conducted by trainers
• Summer Institute for teachers and the community on Discovering Democracy;
• Seminar to update trainers
• Summative conferences to review programs and put in place an ongoing program of professional development
• Attendance at best practice conferences
• Television delivery of information on Discovering Democracy to participating country schools
• Materials also to be available electronically

Activities as at 30 June include

• Design brief for the Trainer Resource Files
• Appointment of trainer consultant and writers for Trainer Files
• Allocation of schools throughout WA to professional development teacher trainers and discussion as to selection.
• Appointment of person to oversee evaluation procedures.

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AFSSSE Representative:
Alison Grant
Clarence High School
Wentworth St
Bellerive 7018
Tel: 03 6244 2544

TAS - project officer to be appointed.

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AFSSSE representative:
Mike Rowland
PO Box 361
Abbotsford 3067
Tel: 03 9419 9622

• An invitational forum for key players in civics and citizenship to promote collaboration
• Appointment of a project officer
• An extended teacher professional development program developed during the first year of the project
• 15 to 20 schools to conduct action research into the implementation of civics and citizenship education in schools in each of the three years of the project;
• Appointment of SOSE (Civics and Citizenship) Network Leaders to cover teachers from all sectors in the state for a three year term;
• A conference of SOSE Network Leaders and other curriculum leaders, including representatives of professional associations held during each year of the project

Publications will include

• Electronic and hard copy of an extended professional development program in Civics and Citizenship education for teachers.
• Research reports from schools on exemplary practices in civics and citizenship education

The project aims to mainstream civics and citizenship curriculum within the SOSE and other appropriate key learning areas, include civics and citizenship curriculum in the integrated curriculum of primary schools, and increase the quantity and quality of civics and citizenship taught. The project also aims to increase teachers’ knowledge, confidence and enjoyment when teaching civics and citizenship. A wide range of participants will be included and an increased awareness of professional associations involved with civics and citizenship education should result.

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AFSSSE representative:
Peter Price
Mount Barker High School
2 Wellington Road
Mount Barker 5251
Tel: 08 8391 1599

• constructive collaboration amongst project partners
• appointment of a part-time project officer
• a two phase project is envisaged:

1. building a network of expertise through professional development (via seminars, workshops) of key personnel from curriculum divisions of the education systems, project schools, members of teacher professional associations, principal associations, academics and parents;
2. spreading the expertise – the project partners support diverse professional development activities through local school networks (clusters), professional associations’ programs, use of information technology/distance technology, and publications.

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AFSSSE’s involvement in the Discovering Democracy project aimed to develop a co-ordinated, systematic and professional effort at placing civics and citizenship education firmly on the change agenda for teachers throughout Australia. It is critical that the long-term and extensive voluntary work conducted by teachers in professional associations throughout Australia be supported by appropriate project co-ordination and reasonable financial incentives for teacher involvement in the range of proposed activities.

AFSSSE therefore recommends that:

AFSSSE continues to provide an effective awareness role in relation to civics and citizenship education and Discovering Democracy by

• Working closely with and supporting the AFSSSE committees or the State/Territory committees
• Ensuring that the forty plus subject association affiliates of AFSSSE are regularly advised of developments in civics and citizenship education and Discovering Democracy
• Ensuring that ways in which subject association affiliates use/adapt Discovering Democracy materials are shared on a national basis through AFSSSE networks including through the AFSSSE web site
• Engaging in ongoing dialogue with Curriculum Corporation and DEETYA in relation to Discovering Democracy materials
• Following up with the suggestions of the state/territory teacher focus groups
• Following up with the participants on state/territory groups.

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