Between Global and Local: Civic Competences in Geography Education in Poland

Abstract

Changes in the contemporary world determine the need for changes in the ways young people are educated. Geography as a school subject is particularly relevant in this case. The change may be determined by the scope of civic education, as it fosters the provision of knowledge, the development of skills and attitudes in terms of engagement with the place of life – at different spatial scales. The study analyses the Polish geography national curriculum, verifying the possibilities for developing civic competences proposed by the Council of Europe (2016). Our study used a qualitative analysis of the national geography curriculum at all educational stages, in particular content analysis, as well as some quantitative procedures. We focused on the relationship between citizenship and geography education, the frequency of civic competences, and the sense of belonging included in geography national curricula. The study reveals that the curriculum is strongly national-oriented in the context of developing civic competences. It also shows the challenge to develop civic competences on a global scale.