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Discourses of democratic consciousness in key Australian curriculum documents.

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Discourses of democratic consciousness in key Australian curriculum documents.
Authors: Nally, David1 (AUTHOR), Sharp, Heather1 (AUTHOR) heather.sharp@newcastle.edu.au
Source: Citizenship, Social & Economics Education: An International Journal. Apr2025, Vol. 24 Issue 1, p18-33. 16p.
Subject Terms: *National curriculum, *History of education, *History education, *Citizenship education, Critical discourse analysis, Australian history
Abstract: This article analyses examples of democratic values within content about forms of government as evident in the Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration and the Australian Curriculum: History. Taking a contemporary focus of the current national curriculum implemented in 2011—which was the first iteration of Australia's first national curriculum, the paper examines forms of government as presented to students from their historical and any current day perspectives. In Australia, History is a compulsory subject for primary school to year 10 in high school (when students are generally 16 years of age). History then splits into Modern History and Ancient History as elective courses of study in the senior years of schooling and History Extension which focuses on historiography. The analysis of curriculum shows that opportunities to introduce into the classroom current day topics in relation to citizenship, democracy, and functions of government are missed in lieu of content that stays in the past within its own chronological historical context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database: Education Research Complete
Description
Abstract:This article analyses examples of democratic values within content about forms of government as evident in the Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration and the Australian Curriculum: History. Taking a contemporary focus of the current national curriculum implemented in 2011—which was the first iteration of Australia's first national curriculum, the paper examines forms of government as presented to students from their historical and any current day perspectives. In Australia, History is a compulsory subject for primary school to year 10 in high school (when students are generally 16 years of age). History then splits into Modern History and Ancient History as elective courses of study in the senior years of schooling and History Extension which focuses on historiography. The analysis of curriculum shows that opportunities to introduce into the classroom current day topics in relation to citizenship, democracy, and functions of government are missed in lieu of content that stays in the past within its own chronological historical context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:20471734
DOI:10.1177/14788047251313813