Abstract
This article explores how issue-based and critically orientated approaches to civic education support the development of political understanding, agency, and voice among primary school children in Wales. Drawing on the principles of critical pedagogy and transformative learning, the study investigates how teachers and pupils engage with political ideas through issue-based inquiry within the framework of the Curriculum for Wales (2022). Data were collected through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and student focus groups across four diverse Welsh primary schools. Using constructivist grounded theory approach, the analysis identified four interrelated themes: making politics accessible, negotiating discomfort, developing voice and agency, and navigating pedagogical tensions. Findings indicate that primary pupils are capable of engaging thoughtfully with complex political issues when learning is contextualized, dialogic, and scaffolded. Teachers’ capacity to facilitate such learning is shaped by their confidence, professional autonomy, and institutional support. The study highlights both the transformative potential and the practical challenges of embedding political education in primary classrooms. It contributes to international debates on democratic education by demonstrating that meaningful civic learning can begin in the primary years and calls for teacher education and curriculum policy to provide sustained support for critical and issue-based pedagogies that empower children as active participants in democratic life.
Recommended Citation
Hughes, S. V.
().
“Not Just Boring Adult Stuff”: Issue-based and Critical Pedagogies for Civic and Political Learning in Welsh Primary Classrooms.
Democracy & Education,
34
(1), Article 6.
Available at:https://doi.org/10.65214/2164-7992.1771