The University of Bucharest announces today, April 10th 2024, the launch of the national results of the ICCS evaluation – ICCS – International Civic and Citizenship Education Study, the largest and only dedicated study of civic and citizenship education.
The comparative study was initiated by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement with the aims to evaluate civic and for citizenship competencies of 8th grade pupils. It is the first time that Romania has participated in this study, coordinated by the team of the Educational Testing Laboratory within the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences of the University of Bucharest.
In the official launch conference, the Minister of Education, Ligia Deca, professor Marian Preda, PhD, the Rector of the University of Bucharest, Ralph Carstens, Research senior counselor at the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement, Maria -Magdalena Isac, director of the ICCS study, Alina Sava, education expert of the World Bank and Roxana Vitan, president of Romanian-American Foundation, were invited to share their thoughts on the evaluation. The event was moderated by the professor Lucian Ciolan, PhD, vice-rector for Development Projects and Lifelong Learning of the University of Bucharest.
ICCS evaluated, in 2022, the civic competencies of pupils in the 8th grade and investigates the way these are formed. This edition of the study included aspects regarding global citizenship, durable development, migration, the evolution of political systems and using digital technologies in civic participation. At the same time, the ICCS collects data regarding different aspects that help professors teach and students learn, for instance, civic participation opportunities in schools.
24 countries participated in the ICCS: Brazil, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany (North Rhine-Westphalia), Germany (Schleswig-Holstein), Italy, Latvia, Malta, Holland, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. In total, almost 82.000 pupils in 3.400 schools participated in the study, and approximately 40.000 professors. The participation of Romania to the study was financed by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency, Romanian American Foundation and the Ministry of Education.
In Romania, the tests were given in print to a group of 158 schools. 2.768 pupils (among which 1.357 boys and 1.411 girls), 2.242 professors and the directors of the respective schools participated in the study.
The test consisted of items which measure the civic knowledge of students and the capacity for analysis in the field of civic and for citizenship education. In Romania, the organizers handed printed tests which included 11 clusters of items. Moreover, the pupils responded to the European survey and another one with questions concerning their background, school context, their perceptions and conceptions. At the same time, in each of the schools selected, the director and several randomly chosen professors answered questions regarding the characteristics of the school and its community.
























