Active Citizenship @ UCL

Discover the pedagogy of active citizenship at this in-person event at UCL IOE. Learn directly from the authors of a unique, co-constructed resource designed by expert teachers and researchers to refine your teaching practice.

About this Event

Join us at the UCL Institute of Education for this highly interactive in-person workshop, where we explore the pedagogy of active citizenship and practical teaching strategies. Unlike other resources that focus on what active citizenship is, this session will delve into the how: the methods and approaches teachers use to plan and teach this unique element of the Citizenship curriculum.

Key features of this event include:

• Hands-on exploration of practical teaching methods with insights from expert educators.
• An opportunity to hear directly from the authors of a groundbreaking resource, created in collaboration with researchers and teachers.
• Focused discussions on how to effectively integrate active citizenship into your lessons, enhancing both teacher confidence and student outcomes.

Why attend in person?
This face-to-face event is an invaluable opportunity to engage directly with peers, build professional networks, and gain actionable insights that are best experienced through live interaction. You’ll leave with new ideas and resources you can use immediately in your classroom.

Who is it for?

This event is perfect for:

• Any teacher of Citizenship
• Educators interested in advancing their understanding of active citizenship pedagogy

Why Attend?

By attending this session, you will:

• Gain a deeper understanding of the pedagogy of active citizenship.
• Network with Citizenship teachers across London and the South East.
• Learn practical strategies from the authors of a unique handbook on active citizenship.
• Take away fresh ideas and resources to use in your next lesson.

Links to the CCF and ECF criteria

This CPD will support the Initial Teacher Education Core Content Framework (CCF) and Early Career Framework (ECF), addressing the following areas:

• Discussing and analysing with expert colleagues how to identify possible misconceptions and planning how to prevent these forming.
• Linking what pupils already know to what is being taught (e.g. explaining how new content builds on what is already known). 
• Discussing and analysing with expert colleagues the rationale for curriculum choices, the process for arriving at current curriculum choices and how the school’s curriculum materials inform lesson preparation.
• Providing opportunity for all pupils to learn and master essential concepts, knowledge, skills and principles of the subject. 
• Discussing and analysing with expert colleagues how to revisit the big ideas of the subject over time and teach key concepts through a range of examples.

Standard 3: 

Learn that: 

Ensuring pupils master foundational concepts and knowledge before moving on is likely to build pupils’ confidence and help them succeed

In order for pupils to think critically, they must have a secure understanding of knowledge within the subject area they are being asked to think critically about.

Learn how to: 

Deliver a carefully sequenced and coherent curriculum, by: a) Identifying essential concepts, knowledge, skills and principles of the subject and providing opportunity for all pupils to learn and master these critical components. b) Ensuring pupils’ thinking is focused on key ideas within the subject. c) Working with experienced colleagues to accumulate and refine a collection of powerful analogies, illustrations, examples, explanations and demonstrations

Support pupils to build increasingly complex mental models, by: f) Discussing and analysing with expert colleagues the rationale for curriculum choices, the process for arriving at current curriculum choices and how the school’s curriculum materials inform lesson preparation. g) Balancing exposition, repetition, practice of critical skills and knowledge. h) Revisiting the big ideas of the subject over time and teaching key concepts through a range of examples.  

Help pupils apply knowledge and skills to other contexts, by: l) Ensuring pupils have relevant domain-specific knowledge, especially when being asked to think critically within a subject. m) Interleaving concrete and abstract examples, slowly withdrawing concrete examples and drawing attention to the underlying structure of problems.

Standard 8: 

Learn that:

1. Effective professional development is likely to be sustained over time, building knowledge, motivating staff, developing teaching techniques, and embedding practice.

2. Reflective practice, supported by feedback from and observation of experienced colleagues, professional debate, and learning from educational research, is also likely to support improvement. 
3. Teachers can make valuable contributions to the wider life of the school in a broad range of ways, including by supporting and developing effective professional relationships with colleagues

Develop as a professional, by: 

a) Engaging in professional development focused on developing an area of practice with clear intentions for impact on pupil outcomes, sustained over time with built-in opportunities for practice

b) Strengthening pedagogical and subject knowledge by participating in wider networks and as part of the lesson preparation process.

c) Seeking challenge, feedback and critique from mentors and other colleagues in an open and trusting working environment.

d) Engaging with research evidence by accessing reliable sources, seeking support for how findings can inform practice, and monitoring the impact of applications. 

e) Reflecting on progress made, recognising strengths and weaknesses and identifying next steps for further improvement.