CIVIC EDUCATION: A CONCEPT ANALYSIS

The concept of civic education is the focus of numerous contemporary studies. As a socio-political issue, its importance is debated as one of the fundamental processes in the socialization of individuals. As an educational issue, it is the subject of numerous discussions regarding its curricular organization and goals. What is common to all the studies and debates is a certain indeterminacy regarding its conceptualization, as it is referred to in multiple ways, giving rise to various conceptual extensions. The objective of this present study was to carry out a concept analysis of civic education based on knowledge from political, social and education theory. Thus, by using the method of concept analysis, the objective was to try to understand it from the perspective of formal, informal, and non-formal educational processes that develop certain citizenship competences (knowledge, attitudes, and skills). Subsequently, the contexts in which civic education takes place (formal, informal, and non-formal) are theoretically delimited, distinguishing them from other contexts of socialization where civic learning occurs. Finally, the dimensions, domains, and subdomains of citizenship competence, currently considered the expected outcome of civic education, are theoretically outlined and discussed. Nonetheless, we must emphasize that we are dealing with an essentially controversial concept, and that the concept analysis will need to be interpreted according to different target audiences and considering the reality of each historical moment.