Teacher and Trainer Training in Education for Democratic Citizenship. Competencies, Methods and Processes

1. Foreword This article presents guidelines for the development of teachers’ competencies and for adequate and efficient methods and processes for Education for Democratic Citizenship. These guidelines are laid out in detail in chapters 3 and 4 of Tool on Teacher Training for Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education, by Rolf Gollob, Edward Huddleston, Peter Kraft, Maria-Helena Salema and Vedrana Spajic-Vrkas, edited by Edward Huddleston. The purpose of this tool is to draw the attention of policy makers in the member states to the importance of teacher training for EDC and HRE and its implications for both policy and practice. It contains four chapters dealing with the following issues: the need for teacher training; support structures and mechanisms in teacher training for EDC; teacher competencies, education for values, dispositions and attitudes; processes and methods in teaching and training. This Tool 3 on Teacher Training for Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education is an instrument prepared for the year 2005. It is included in the EDC Pack, which is a collection of practical instruments specifically designed to provide support to all those involved in education. It has four main goals: ∞ To raise awareness of EDC and encourage reflection on the role of education in promoting EDC and HRE; ∞ To communicate coherent EDC policies, strategies and approaches that are based on current actions and practices;