Skip Ribbon Commands
Skip to main content
Sign In Skip to Content

Contemporary issues in Civics and Citizenship

This professional learning resource aims to support teachers implementing Civics and Citizenship Levels 3–10 in schools. It was designed to be used by individual teachers or teams of teachers. The resource comprises six professional learning modules, including pre-readings, group activities, discussion questions and prompts, plus other resources. These modules explore research, pedagogies and curriculum implementation to make it easier for teachers to effectively use contemporary issues in the classroom.

Introduction to the resource

Meaningful learning in Civics and Citizenship classrooms engages with real-world case studies and discussions about contemporary issues. These issues could be debates during elections, responses to climate change, or local issues such as young people’s access to recreational spaces. The Victorian Curriculum Civics and Citizenship Levels 3–10 Learning in Civics and Citizenship states that:

‘Contemporary issues, such as debates over changes to the law, elections and Australian government responses to international events, are a means of linking what students may know from the media to the theory about democratic political and legal institutions and values such as fairness, equality, representation and accountability and citizens’ rights that underpin a democracy. A focus on contemporary issues also provides a means of developing students’ thinking and critical capacities. These issues provide models of the ways that citizens can actively participate, question and improve democracy.’

Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (2017)

Discussing issues can build democratic values, enhance civic knowledge, and encourage civic participation and engagement. By facilitating students’ engagement with key contemporary political, legal, social and economic issues, we provide them with opportunities for student voice and agency and encourage them to become active and informed citizens.

Before you begin the six Contemporary Issues in Civics and Citizenship modules, watch our Contemporary Issues video below for an overview of the resources.

Contemporary issues transcript


How to use this resource

This resource is designed to help teachers in Victorian primary and secondary schools to think about their own practices and explore a number of common approaches to the discussion of contemporary issues when implementing the Victorian Curriculum Civics and Citizenship. The resource can be used by individual teachers but was developed to be used for collaborative professional learning, including with Humanities teams and/or teams of teachers at a particular year level.

Many researchers have emphasised the importance of teachers beginning this professional learning with ‘self-reflection and thoughtful action’ (Kerr and Huddleston 2015), an approach that aligns with best practices for professional learning. Prioritising teacher reflection and self-awareness in Civics and Citizenship is essential for student-centred and responsive teaching of this learning area.

Every school context is different, so learning area leaders and faculty heads will need to incorporate their school’s values and agreed pedagogical approaches with this professional learning package.

To use this resource:

  • Watch the Contemporary Issues video to understand the topics covered in each of the six modules included in this resource.
  • Decide the order in which to complete the modules. It is recommended but not essential to explore each topic in sequence, so take the skills of your team members into account when deciding where to start. We recommend everyone starts with Modules 1 and 2, though, as they develop core skills and knowledge.
  • Conduct the modules, either with your team or individually. If using them as a team resource, do so in a regular team meeting. You could schedule a module each meeting throughout the term and rotate the learning leader responsibilities between team members.
    • Each module includes an overview of research in this area, as well as learning activities for professional learning teams to work through. The research discussions are short so that they can be used as pre-readings for professional learning activities.
    • Each module has professional learning activities that teachers can work on collaboratively in a staff or learning area meeting.
    • Each activity provides instructions for the learning leader. This may be the learning area leader, the head of faculty or another experienced teacher who is facilitating the activity. (Note, the person leading the professional learning is referred to as the ‘learning leader’ in the activity instructions and the participating teachers are called ‘participants’.)
    • Each section includes links to additional resources, plus a full reference list is available at the bottom of this webpage.
  • Put your learning into practice in the classroom.
    • In many cases the professional activities can be used as learning activities with students later, and some activities model strategies that can be used with students in the classroom.

Prior knowledge required

This professional learning resource is aimed at teachers of Victorian Curriculum Civics and Citizenship Levels 3–10. Some prior knowledge of the curriculum and content is assumed. For an introduction to Civics and Citizenship, please explore VCAA’s resources:

This resource has also been designed to suit teachers with a wide range of skills and experience. We know that many Humanities teachers are experienced, knowledgeable and confident in teaching Civics and Citizenship. We also know that many are teaching out-of-field, have limited access to professional learning and would find value in dedicated professional learning time to explore the foundations of the subject. We also know that many teachers find teaching contemporary issues complex and challenging due to the real or perceived controversial nature of issues. Therefore, we encourage learning leaders to use their discretion in selecting which parts and topics within this resource are appropriate given the expertise of their team.

Teachers who are new to thinking about approaches to contemporary issues may find it helpful to start with topics and issues that are less divisive. This can build confidence and scaffold skills for the students in their class to subsequently explore issues that are more political, controversial or polarising.

The activities in this resource focus on building teacher self-awareness, exploring school context and developing a toolkit of strategies. Teaching contemporary issues is complex and requires a nuanced approach. For this reason, there is not one prescribed approach but rather a series of styles that teachers can adopt depending on the school context and the nature of the issue at hand.

What is included in this resource

  • Module 1: What are contemporary issues and why teach them?
    • What are contemporary issues? Why should you teach contemporary issues? How do you map issues to the curriculum?
  • Module 2: School context and teacher approaches
    • How can you prepare for teaching contemporary issues using teacher reflection and an awareness of your school and community context?
  • Module 3: Classroom talk and decision-making
    • How can you use democratic decision-making processes and classroom dialogue for teaching contemporary issues?
  • Module 4: Students at the centre
    • How can you prioritise student voice, agency and leadership in Civics and Citizenship?
  • Module 5: Implementing curriculum for Civics and Citizenship using contemporary issues
    • How can you implement Civics and Citizenship Levels 3–10 using contemporary issues?
  • Module 6: Critical media literacy
    • How can we support students to engage critically with complex media messages?
    • Australian Professional Standards for Teachers overview matrix
    • Planning tools
    • Full reference list

Each module includes:

  • a list of aims
  • a brief description
  • an explanation of research related to the topic or a reading for teachers to engage with (downloadable component)
  • professional learning activities (downloadable components)
  • an indication of how each module supports teacher development in line with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (see the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers matrix in Further Resources, below, for a summary of how the modules align to different focus areas of the standards)
  • a list of other resources for further reading.

Professional learning modules

Module 1: What are contemporary issues and why teach them?

Aims

  • Participants will develop a shared understanding of what constitutes a contemporary issue.
  • Participants will explore reasons for using contemporary issues when teaching the Victorian Curriculum Civics and Citizenship Levels 3–10.

Description

Making connections between what is learned in class and events or issues that are occurring in the local area, the country, the region and the world is vital to the study of Civics and Citizenship. When you bring complex issues into the classroom, it is important that you understand the contemporary landscape so that you can use the issues accurately and facilitate class discussion. Using the Victorian Curriculum Civics and Citizenship stands of Government and Democracy, Laws and Citizens, and Citizenship, Diversity and Identity to integrate current events, issues and case studies into the teaching and learning program allows you to teach the curriculum through relevant and contemporary contexts, real-world issues and current affairs.

Note: This module supports teacher development for Australian Professional Standards for Teachers focus areas 2.1, 2.3, 6.2 and 6.3.

Components

1.1 Why teach contemporary issues?

1.2 Professional learning activity: ‘Hot’ and ‘cold’ issues (35 minutes)

1.3 Professional learning activity: Exploring evidence and attitudes to teaching contemporary issues (55 minutes)

1.4 Professional learning activity: Mapping issues to the Victorian Curriculum for Civics and Citizenship Levels 3–10 (60 minutes)

Other resources

Bordreau E (2022) ‘You want to teach what?’ Harvard, 2022.

Richardson J (2017) ‘Using controversy as a teaching tool – an interview with Diana Hess’, Phi Kappa Delta, 17 November 2017.

Module 2: School context and teacher approaches

Aims

  • Participants will understand why school context matters when implementing contemporary issues.
  • Participants will discuss school-level interventions to ensure an environment free from discrimination.
  • Participants will reflect on their own practice and discuss different approaches to issues in the classroom.

Description

This module asks participants to explore their sector and/or school values, policies and community context in order to make decisions about their faculty and individual teacher approaches to contemporary issues. This module explores how sector and school values can influence how controversial an issue may be for a group of students. It examines the concept of an open classroom environment and how school values and processes, such as instructional models, can support this. Participants will have the opportunity to reflect upon common teacher approaches to contemporary issues and managing teacher perspectives, biases and political viewpoints.
Note: This module supports teacher development for Australian Professional Standards for Teachers focus areas 1.3, 2.1, 3.3, 4.4, 6.2 and 6.3.

Components

2.1 How do school culture and context support democratic education?

2.2 Professional learning activity: Knowing your school context (50 minutes)

2.3 Approaches to teaching contemporary issues

2.4 Professional learning activity: Teacher approaches to contemporary issues (30 minutes)

2.5 Professional learning activity: Planning for teaching approaches when teaching contemporary issues (30 minutes)

Other resources

Centre for Multicultural Youth (2019) Schools standing up to racism: A resource for Victorian schools, CMY, accessed 22 February 2022.

Department of Education and Training (2014) DET Advice to schools when teaching cultural diversity (download), accessed 22 February 2022.

Department of Education and Training (2019) Professional learning: professional development resources to help educators support students with learning difficulties, disabilities and additional needs, DET, accessed 22 February 2022.

Department of Education and Training (2019) Resilience, rights and respectful relationships, DET, accessed 22 February 2022.

Department of Education and Training (2021) Teaching and learning resources: selecting appropriate materials, DET, accessed 21 April 2022.

Department of Education and Training (2022) Political activities, DET, accessed 21 April 2022.

Forgasz R, Hrasdksy D and Bell-Wykes K (2020) Teaching for reconciliation in your classroom, Monash University, accessed 21 April 2022.

Kerr D and Huddleston T (eds) (2015) Living with controversy. Teaching controversial issues through education for democratic citizenship and human rights (EDC/HRE), Council of Europe.

Minus18 (n.d.) Online resources, Minus18.

Module 3: Classroom talk and decision-making

Aims

  • Participants build their understanding of protocols for classroom dialogue and decision-making.
  • Participants reflect on the implications of these protocols for their implementation of contemporary issues.

Description

This module focuses on dialogue and protocols within the classroom. To maintain a safe and open climate for learning about contemporary issues, students need to have skills in conducting substantive conversations that are on topic, respectful, deep and curious. Civic reasoning and dialogue ask students to be able to think and speak with respect and empathy and to support their perspective with evidence.
Note: This module supports teacher development for Australian Professional Standards for Teachers focus areas 1.2, 2.1, 2.5, 3.2, 3.3, 3.5, 4.1, 4.2, 4.4, 6.2 and 6.3.

Components

3.1 Classroom talk and democratic decision-making

3.2 Professional learning activity: Using democratic decision-making processes (40 minutes)

3.3 Professional learning activity: Civic discussion and deliberation – pedagogies for controversial issues (50 minutes)

Other resources

Bill of Rights Institute (n.d.) Setting classroom expectations for trust, tolerance, and civil discourse, Resources Library, Bill of Rights Institute, accessed 22 February 2022.

Civic Engagement Research Group (n.d.) Civic discussion and deliberation, Education 4 Democracy, accessed 22 February 2022.
Gonzales G (2015) The big list of class discussion strategies, Cult of Pedagogy, 15 October 2015.

NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) (n.d.) Strategy Guide: Consensus decision making, Read Write Think, accessed 22 February 2022.

Northern Illinois University Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning (2012), Classroom debates in Instructional Guide for University Faculty and Teaching Assistants, accessed 22 February 2022.

Peachey (n.d.) Why we should stop doing debates in the classroom – and what we should do instead, PeacheyPublications.com, accessed 21 April 2022.

Professional Learning Board (n.d.) Form a consensus-decision making strategy in the classroom, accessed 22 February 2022.

University of Waterloo (n.d.) Group decision making, Centre for Teaching Excellence, University of Waterloo, accessed 22 February 2022.

Van Benthuysen H and Hodgkin E (2018) Move over debate, it’s time to deliberate, Teaching Channel, 3 December 2018.

Module 4: Students at the centre

Aims

  • Participants will develop approaches to teaching contemporary issues in ways that are engaging and enable students to be active and informed members of the community.
  • Participants will learn how to incorporate student voice, agency and leadership as part of contemporary issues learning.
  • Participants will reflect on the opportunities and challenges of putting students at the centre of contemporary issues learning.

Description

In this module, participants will examine how to enable students to become active and informed citizens, through developing the skills necessary to investigate contemporary civics and citizenship issues and foster responsible participation in Australia’s democracy. Teachers can connect students to Civics and Citizenship content and capabilities through the lens of contemporary issues at local, national and global levels that are of interest and relevance to students. Connections can be made between the Civics and Citizenship curriculum and the Amplify: Empowering students through voice, agency and leadership (Department of Education and Training [DET] Victoria 2019) practice guide, which builds on a decades-long commitment to student voice by Victorian education policymakers (Mahar, Warne, Manefield and Moore 2007).

Amplify makes an important contribution beyond a model that relies on student representative councils (SRCs) as the mechanism for how student voice is expressed in schools, as it empowers all students to have agency and ownership over their learning, as well as being active participants in their communities. The Civics and Citizenship classroom provides an excellent opportunity for students to analyse contemporary issues of interest and relevance to them, use evidence to support a point of view, and participate in identifying possible solutions to an issue as part of a plan for action.

The following discussion and professional learning activities introduce the research-informed pedagogy and content knowledge required to put students at the centre of contemporary issues learning, and teachers are given guidance, practice, examples and resources through the professional learning activities.

Note: This module supports teacher development for Australian Professional Standards for Teachers focus areas 1.2, 2.1, 2.3, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 4.1, 4.2, 4.4, 6.2 and 6.3.

Components

4.1 Students at the centre

4.2 Professional learning activity: Discussion of current classroom practice (15 minutes)

4.3 Professional learning activity: Teachers as learners (30 minutes)

4.4 Professional learning activity: Developing student voice, agency and leadership through responding to a contemporary issue (30 minutes)

Other resources

ABC (2016) 'History of Voting’, Behind The News, 24 May 2016, accessed 1 March 2022.

Backhouse M (2021) 'Nature strip gardening enthusiasm grows, but new guidelines dampen cheer', The Age, 24 December 2021, accessed 1 March 2022.

Department of Education and Training (2019) Amplify: Empowering students through voice, agency and leadership, accessed 20 February 2022.

Petrova S, Berents H, Gagnon J, Hill L, Phillips L and Collin P (2019) 'Should Australia lower the voting age to 16? We asked five experts', The Conversation, 27 March 2019, accessed 1 March 2022.

Unicef Australia (n.d.) Learn about Children’s Rights, accessed 1 March 2022.

Module 5: Implementing curriculum for Civics and Citizenship using contemporary issues

Aims

  • Participants build their understanding about how to implement the Victorian Curriculum Civics and Citizenship using contemporary issues and case studies.
  • Participants explore how students can use evidence to support a point of view about contemporary civics and citizenship issues and identify possible solutions to an issue as part of a plan for action.
  • Participants reflect on their understanding of contemporary issues learning in the Victorian Curriculum Civics and Citizenship.

Description

This section uses an Understanding by Design process (Wiggins and McTighe 2005) to design a learning and teaching unit using the Victorian Curriculum Civics and Citizenship. This ‘backwards design’ approach considers the learning goals of the course first, which include knowledge, skills and dispositions. Consideration is then given to assessment, followed by the learning activities. This guide also incorporates aspects of the Victorian teaching and learning model (VTLM), including the 5E pedagogical model and some of the High impact teaching strategies (Department of Education and Training) as part of the teaching and learning activities, such as collaborative learning, feedback and metacognition (Hattie 2009).

Note: This module supports teacher development for Australian Professional Standards for Teachers focus areas 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.2, 3.4, 3.6, 4.2, 5.1, 6.2 and 6.3.

Components

5.1 Implementing the Victorian Curriculum Civics and Citizenship

5.2 Professional learning activity: Applying curriculum – developing case studies (60 minutes)

5.3 Implementing curriculum: Example case study

Other resources

ABC (2017) War on Waste, accessed 22 February 2022.

ABC (2017) 'Plastic Bag Ban', Behind The News, accessed 22 February 2022.

ABC (2021) 'The Tipping Point', Australian Story, accessed 22 February 2022.

Australian Youth Research Centre (2003) Student Action Teams: Learning in the community, accessed 23 February 2022.

Booker C (2021) ‘Council scraps fortnightly landfill collection’, The Age, 15 July 2021, accessed 13 February 2022.

Clean Up Australia Day (2022) Clean Up Australia Day, accessed 20 February 2022.

Department of Education and Training (n.d.) High impact teaching strategies, accessed 15 February 2022.

Department of Education and Training (n.d.) Victorian learning and teaching model, accessed 15 February 2022.

Fairtrade Australia and New Zealand (2022) Addressing global issues, accessed 20 February 2022.

Harvard Graduate School of Education (2022) Project Zero's Thinking Routine Toolbox, accessed 15 February 2022.

Parliament of Victoria (2019) Inquiry into recycling and waste management

Parliament of Victoria (2022) Victorian Parliament electorate map, accessed 10 February 2022.

Parliamentary Education Office (2022) The roles and responsibilities of the three levels of government, accessed 10 April 2022.

Smithsonian Institute (2021) This new installation pulled 20,000 pounds of plastic from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, accessed 14 April 2022.

Sustainability Victoria (2022) ResourceSmart Schools, accessed 17 February 2022.

Unicef (2022) Child labour, accessed 23 February 2022.

Victorian Government (2021) Building Victoria’s Circular Economy, accessed 10 April 2022.

WorkSafe Victoria (2022) Young workers, accessed 17 February 2022.

World Economic Forum (2017) Germany recycles more than any other country, 18 December 2017, accessed 10 April 2022.

VCAA (n.d.) Curriculum Planning Resource, accessed 10 February 2022.

Victorian Councils (n.d.) Council responsibilities, accessed 10 April 2022.

Module 6: Critical media literacy

Aims

  • Participants will understand the skills that support media literacy in Civics and Citizenship.
  • Participants will explore resources that help to build critical media literacy skills.

Description

To understand contemporary issues, student and teachers in Civics and Citizenship will need to engage with media reports and commentary, social media posts and other media representations. This module explores what media literacy means for Civics and Citizenship educators and introduces basic media terminology and some practical strategies for analysing media texts.

This module builds on progress that schools have made in developing general and disciplinary literacy skills by focusing on critical media and news literacy to support children and young people to be able to make sense of the complex media context in which they are learning Civics and Citizenship.

Note: This module supports teacher development for Australian Professional Standards for Teachers focus areas 2.1, 2.2, 2.5, 3.3, 3.4, 4.2, 4.4, 4.5, 6.2 and 6.3.

Components

6.1 Media literacy in Civics and Citizenship

6.2 Evaluating media sources

6.3 Professional learning activity: Exploring media literacy (50 minutes)

6.4 Professional learning activity: Approaches to media analysis (50 minutes)

Other resources

ABC (n.d.) ABC Education, Media Literacy, ABC Education website, accessed 22 February 2022.

Australian Electoral Commission (n.d.) Media literacy in democracy, accessed 22 February 2022.

Australian Communications and Media Authority (updated 2022) Media interests snapshot (resource for media ownership), accessed 22 February 2022.

Australian Media Literacy Alliance (2020) 'A Media Literacy Framework for Australia’, accessed 22 February 2022.

Chung L (2022) 'TikTok takes on climate as new social activism sweeps the net' Sydney Morning Herald, 20 February 2022, accessed 15 April 2022.

Department of Education and Training (2021a) Critical media literacy, Literacy Teaching Toolkit, accessed 22 February 2022.

Department of Education and Training (2021b) Literacy in Civics and Citizenship, Literacy Teaching Toolkit, accessed 22 February 2022.

Department of Education and Training (2021c) Selecting appropriate material, School Operations resources, accessed 21 April 2022.

Education Services Australia (n.d.) Democracy and the media, Civics and Citizenship Education website, accessed 22 February 2022.

Lamb B (2013) 'Media Representation: Media in minutes', Lessonbucket, YouTube, accessed 22 February 2022.

Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (1999) Journalist Code of Ethics, accessed 22 February 2022.

Museum of Australian Democracy (n.d.) Media Literacy, accessed 22 February 2022.

Notley T and Dezuanni M (2020) 'We live in an age of "fake news". But Australian children are not learning enough about media literacy.' The Conversation, 6 July 2020, accessed 15 April 2022.

Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (2021) Student-led classroom resources, accessed 22 February 2022.

Further resources

Australian Professional Standards for Teachers overview matrix – A matrix giving an indication of how each module supports teacher development in line with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers

Planning tools and thinking routines – Additional planning resources and classroom teaching ideas to support the incorporation of contemporary issues in your Civics and Citizenship program.

Full reference list