Effective Teaching Practice: Peer Tutoring in Education for Active Citizenship

This paper deals with active learning and participation at school, outlining a new version of an already known teaching/learning practice: the peer tutoring, which can be performed in all learning fields, individually and in groups, face to face and on line. The research question is about the best methods of empowering students for a good peer tutoring in the field of active citizenship. The Purpose of the Study is examining approaches of effective teaching/learning practices to promote civic competences at school, especially through the work of the Students Councils. Links are made with the European project SPACE (Students Promoting Active Citizenship in Europe), currently performed by 6 European partners from 4 countries, where students are expected both to learn and to give advices to peers. The research methods are: analyzing studies on the topic (Biesta, 2007; ten Dam, 2011), included the most important international Surveys (Eurydice, 2012, ICCS, IEA 2009, 2016) on education of citizens, and comparing the activities for promoting active citizenship in the partner schools of the SPACE project on the basis of a common frame describing both working process and expected outcomes. The findings are related to the strategies for developing active participation, firstly on the indicators of competence in cognitive, social and civic fields, and on descriptors of participation which are shared among teachers and students referring to the different experiences of the schools in the European project partner countries: Spain, Itlaly, Lituania, United Kingdom. (C) 2016 Published by Future Academy www.FutureAcademy.org.uk