democratic values

The article examines the concept of democratic behavior skills as an integral system of personal qualities that help individuals socialize, build partnerships within society, communicate without aggression, pressure, or humiliation, resolve conflicts constructively, establish peaceful relationships, and take responsibility for their decisions. Attention is drawn to the relevance of this issue, as under the current conditions of democratic transformations in Ukrainian society, globalization processes, and information challenges, focusing on the education of young people is a strategic task of the state. Ukrainian society needs citizens who embrace democratic values, are active and responsible, respect the rule of law, think critically, hold strong civic positions, and are culturally educated. It is specified that democratic behavior skills are a component of the model of civic competencies that should be developed from primary school age. By making use of the sensitive developmental periods of younger schoolchildren, educators can lay the foundations of communication and behavioral culture, and related qualities. The educational potential of the integrated course «IEW» is analyzed, with particular emphasis on its social content strand. From Grades 1 to 4, the curriculum includes topics aimed at developing the child’s personality as an active member of society, capable of responsible behavior, partnership and cooperation, respect, tolerance, and empathy. It is emphasized that primary school students do not merely become familiar with concepts such as «citizen», «state», «rights», «responsibilities», and «accountability». Through learner-centered, activity-based approaches, they gain experience in democratic interaction across various activities. Discussions of problematic situations and collective decision-making contribute to the development of democratic behavior skills. It is emphasized that the use of practice-oriented methodologies in teaching the integrated course “I Explore the World” contributes to the development of primary education students’ conscious understanding of social processes and their ability to critically analyze information, which is particularly important for fostering democratic behavior skills. The practical significance of the study lies in the potential to apply the proposed methodological approaches to the educational activities of general secondary and higher education institutions.

Teacher–student relationships outside formal lessons are part of school social life and may provide opportunities to practice democratic values. This qualitative case study examined patterns of out-of-class interaction, their relationship to democratic values, and factors shaping them at SMK Lingga Kencana Depok. Fourteen informants participated: two vice principals, a Pancasila and Civic Education teacher, a religious education teacher, and ten eleventh-grade students. Data came from in-depth interviews, non-participant observations, and documentation, analyzed using the Miles and Huberman interactive model. Findings show open communication, mutual respect, professional closeness, and opportunities for students to express opinions. Democratic values appeared through openness, respect for differences, participation, dialogue, and responsibility. Teachers’ personal approaches and the school environment supported interaction, while differences in student characteristics, limited time, and some students’ lack of confidence posed challenges. Unlike studies centered on formal lessons or structured programs, this case foregrounds everyday out-of-class interactions in vocational education. These interactions may provide a contextual space for practicing democratic values relevant to building democratic culture, but this case study does not establish a direct causal effect on its formation.

This study is motivated by the importance of strengthening elementary school students’ democratic character through Pancasila and Civic Education (PPKn) instruction. Teachers hold a strategic role in instilling democratic values, yet implementation still faces various challenges. This study aims to describe the teacher’s role, the strategies employed, and the supporting and inhibiting factors in strengthening students’ democratic character in Grade V PPKn learning. A descriptive qualitative approach was used at UPTD SD Negeri Perigi 03, South Tangerang City, with the principal, Grade V teachers, and Grade V students as subjects. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and documentation, then analyzed using Miles and Huberman’s interactive model (data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing/verification), with validity ensured through triangulation. The results show that teachers fulfilled five roles – educator, facilitator, guide, motivator, and role model – through strategies such as group discussion and deliberation, presentation and question-answer sessions, contextual problem-solving, class-president election and democracy simulation, varied instructional media, and positive reinforcement. Supporting factors included school commitment, facilities, character-habituation programs, teacher competence, and student enthusiasm, while inhibiting factors included an unconducive classroom atmosphere, low student self-confidence, disrespectful peer behavior, and uneven participation. Sustained, synergistic efforts among teachers, learning strategies, and the school environment are needed for democratic character strengthening to proceed optimally and equitably.

این پژوهش با انگیزه اهمیت تقویت شخصیت دموکراتیک دانش‌آموزان دبستان از طریق آموزش مطالعات اجتماعی و آموزش شهروندی (PPKn) انجام شده است. معلمان نقش راهبردی در نهادینه‌سازی ارزش‌های دموکراتیک دارند، اما اجرای آن همچنان با چالش‌های مختلفی مواجه است. هدف این پژوهش توصیف نقش معلم، راهبردهای به‌کاررفته و عوامل تسهیل‌کننده و بازدارنده در تقویت شخصیت دموکراتیک دانش‌آموزان در آموزش PPKn پایه پنجم است. این پژوهش با رویکرد کیفی توصیفی در UPTD SD Negeri Perigi 03 شهر تانگرانگ جنوبی و با مشارکت مدیر مدرسه، معلمان پایه پنجم و دانش‌آموزان پایه پنجم انجام شد. داده‌ها از طریق مشاهده، مصاحبه و اسناد جمع‌آوری و با استفاده از مدل تعاملی مایلز و هابرمن (کاهش داده‌ها، نمایش داده‌ها و نتیجه‌گیری/تأیید) تحلیل شدند و روایی از طریق مثلث‌سازی تضمین گردید. نتایج نشان داد که معلمان پنج نقش—آموزگار، تسهیل‌گر، راهنما، انگیزه‌بخش و الگو—را از طریق راهبردهایی مانند بحث و گفت‌وگوی گروهی، ارائه و پرسش‌وپاسخ، حل مسئله‌های زمینه‌محور، انتخابات رئیس کلاس و شبیه‌سازی دموکراسی، رسانه‌های آموزشی متنوع و تقویت مثبت ایفا کردند. عوامل تسهیل‌کننده شامل تعهد مدرسه، امکانات، برنامه‌های عادت‌دهی به شخصیت، شایستگی معلم و اشتیاق دانش‌آموزان و عوامل بازدارنده شامل فضای نامناسب کلاس، اعتمادبه‌نفس پایین دانش‌آموزان، رفتار بی‌احترام همسالان و مشارکت نامتوازن بودند. تلاش‌های مستمر و هم‌افزا میان معلمان، راهبردهای یادگیری و محیط مدرسه برای تقویت شخصیت دموکراتیک به‌صورت بهینه و عادلانه ضروری است.

This study aims to examine the perspectives of fourth-grade primary school teachers regarding the instruction of democratic values within the social studies course. The research was conducted using a qualitative methodology and employed a case study design. The study group consisted of 40 primary school teachers working in the Toroslar district of Mersin during the 2024–2025 academic year. Data were collected through a Teacher Interview Form comprising seven open-ended questions and analyzed using content analysis. The findings indicate that teachers consider the teaching of democratic values to be highly important. Justice, respect, equality, and tolerance were identified as the democratic values most frequently emphasized in classroom instruction. Conversely, responsibility, respect, and tolerance were reported as the values most commonly lacking among students. Active participation, drama, storytelling, and teacher role modeling emerged as the most effective pedagogical approaches for fostering democratic values. Additionally, reading activities and storytelling were highlighted as essential tools for value acquisition. Based on these results, it is recommended that reading and storytelling activities considered effective by teachers be supported through children’s literature themed around democratic values. Furthermore, the curriculum should allocate greater emphasis to inclusive educational practices and cultural awareness activities aimed at enhancing respect for diversity and strengthening social tolerance.

هدف این پژوهش بررسی دیدگاه‌های معلمان پایه چهارم ابتدایی نسبت به آموزش ارزش‌های دموکراتیک در درس مطالعات اجتماعی است. این پژوهش با استفاده از روش کیفی و با رویکرد مطالعه موردی انجام شده است. گروه مورد مطالعه شامل ۴۰ نفر از معلمان ابتدایی شاغل در منطقه توروسلار شهر مرسین در سال تحصیلی ۲۰۲۴–۲۰۲۵ بود. داده‌ها از طریق فرم مصاحبه معلمان که شامل هفت پرسش باز بود گردآوری و با روش تحلیل محتوا مورد بررسی قرار گرفت. یافته‌ها نشان می‌دهد که معلمان آموزش ارزش‌های دموکراتیک را بسیار مهم تلقی می‌کنند. عدالت، احترام، برابری و مدارا به عنوان ارزش‌های دموکراتیک که بیشترین تأکید را در آموزش کلاسی دارند شناسایی شدند. در مقابل، مسئولیت‌پذیری، احترام و مدارا به عنوان ارزش‌هایی که بیشترین کمبود را در میان دانش‌آموزان دارند گزارش شده‌اند. مشارکت فعال، نمایش، قصه‌گویی و الگو بودن معلم به عنوان مؤثرترین رویکردهای آموزشی در تقویت ارزش‌های دموکراتیک مطرح شده‌اند. همچنین، فعالیت‌های مطالعه و قصه‌گویی به عنوان ابزارهای اساسی برای کسب ارزش‌ها مورد تأکید قرار گرفته‌اند. بر اساس این نتایج، توصیه می‌شود فعالیت‌های مطالعه و قصه‌گویی که از نظر معلمان مؤثر تلقی می‌شوند، از طریق ادبیات کودک با محوریت ارزش‌های دموکراتیک تقویت شوند. علاوه بر این، برنامه درسی باید توجه بیشتری به شیوه‌های آموزشی فراگیر و فعالیت‌های آگاهی فرهنگی با هدف ارتقای احترام به تنوع و تقویت مدارا اجتماعی اختصاص دهد.