Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to describe and explain a conceptual and methodological framework that was used to analyze civic and citizenship compulsory education (K-12) quality in Mexico. This framework departs from the premise that diverse overlapping, and interdependent planes are required to shape competent citizens, committed to play their roles as social, moral, and political subjects in an effective way. These planes contribute to the generation of a strong sense of identity, sense of agency, as well as social, political, and moral self-efficacy, required for the construction of a citizen who stands up with civic courage and dignity, to promote and defend human rights, dignity itself and democracy. The approach used to evaluate the quality of the curriculum considered the national level (curriculum plans), and the local level (civic and ethical programs for each level of education). The results show that the focus of the programs of the different levels (K-12) vary in the percentage of attention devoted to the construction of the four nuclei (social, political, moral and with dignity and rights) of analysis delineated in the theoretical and methodological framework of analysis, which represent areas of opportunity to improve the quality of civic and citizenship education in Mexico.

Keywords

104-114