Comparative Analysis of Citizenship Education in Three Islamic Countries Based on the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Standards
Keywords:
Citizenship education, social education, NCSS, Iran, Iraq, IndonesiaAbstract
The present study aims to conduct a comparative analysis of citizenship education in three Islamic countries—Iran, Iraq, and Indonesia—based on the framework of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) standards of the United States. This research employed a qualitative approach through content analysis of lower secondary school social studies textbooks (grades 7 to 9) in the three countries. The data included texts, images, activities, and end-of-lesson questions, which were analyzed according to the ten key components of the NCSS framework: culture; time, continuity, and change; social institutions; global connections; civic ideals and practices; people, places, and environments; individual development and identity; science, technology, and society; production, distribution, and consumption; and power, authority, and governance. The findings revealed that Indonesia, with 329 coded items, provided the most comprehensive conceptual coverage of citizenship components, while Iran, with 163 coded items, ranked the lowest. In Iran, there was a greater focus on knowledge-based and identity-related components, whereas in Indonesia, skill-based and attitudinal content was also included in a balanced manner. Iraq, with 279 coded instances, ranked second, primarily emphasizing traditional structures and governmental institutions. Furthermore, the qualitative analysis indicated that Indonesia employed a modern approach in teaching concepts such as global citizenship, social justice, civic engagement, and human rights, whereas Iran and Iraq continued to operate within more traditional paradigms. In conclusion, recommendations were made for revising curricular content, enhancing teacher training, and developing citizenship education programs in Islamic countries. This study can serve as a foundation for policymaking and educational reform in the domain of civic and social education within Muslim societies.
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Copyright (c) 2024 Ghassan Saheb Al-Faleh (Author); Negin Jabbari (Corresponding author); Jalal Shante Jabr, Mahboobeh Sadat Fadavi (Author)

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