"It is important that we get so close to the pupils that we find their seed for engagement. In this way, we can make them aware of how issues that they are already concerned about in fact are political issues," says OsloMet researcher Evy Jøsok.
Together with Anders G. Kjøstvedt and Idunn Seland, she has interviewed 34 ninth-grade pupils at four Norwegian lower secondary schools about their civic identity and participation in democracy.
They found three different groups:
- Pupils who express both that they participate in democracy and that they have a civic identity.
- Pupils who express that they participate in democracy without being aware of it themselves, but who do not have a clear civic identity.
- Pupils who express that they neither participate in democracy nor have a civic identity.
Pupils express that they are not concerned with politics
"The second group was by far the largest," says Jøsok.
This group of pupils say that they are not interested in politics. In the conversations with the researchers, however, it emerged that they were engaged in many issues that are in fact political.
These young people had strong opinions about issues like prices in the school canteen, that it costs too much to participate in sports, or that the school day is too long. Some had also participated actively in local democracy.
"For example, one student had influenced local politicians to increase the frequency of local bus departures, so that she and her friends could travel to the city center without adults needing to drive them.”
Pupils think of politics in terms of elections
Previous research has established a link between civic identity and civic engagement among young people.
"Our findings show that this correlation is not necessarily automatic. Sometimes teachers need to help pupils understand the connection," says Jøsok.
According to Evy Jøsok, it is absolutely possible for schools to nurture pupils’ civic identity. Photo: Siv Tonje S. Håkensen
In the conversations, it emerged that the pupils thought of politics as something that was primarily linked to elections. Since they themselves were under the legal voting age of 18 years, they saw politics as something that did not concern them.
"The pupils do not necessarily link the knowledge they have gained in social studies about the political system to issues they themselves are engaged in.”
Social studies teachers can address topics that pupils are engaged in
Jøsok thinks that social studies teachers should be aware of the three different groups of pupils, and especially work with those who lack a civic identity. Addressing issues that pupils are already engaged in can be a good strategy.
"The teacher can also present political issues that are relevant to the everyday life of the pupils. For example, by talking about child labor taking place in the extraction of metal found in their mobile phones. Another example could be talking about how the makeup they use is produced and tested.
According to Jøsok, it is absolutely possible for schools to nurture pupils’ civic identity.
"Politics as a concept can be foreign to them. But there is great potential in widening the subjects addressed in social studies and showing pupils that political issues are something that affect themselves, those they love, and the society around them.”
Reference
Jøsok, E., Kjøstvedt, A., & Seland, I. (2025). Nurturing civic identity among Norwegian 15-year-olds: Challenges and opportunities for social science teachers (jsse.org). Journal of Social Science Education
