Embedding Democratic Education
Embedding democratic education
One of the core aims of this stage of the programme was to support teachers to embed the programme into their teaching, as part of a wider democratic engagement curriculum, and encourage sustained and long-term democratic education for whole year groups. In this phase we have seen evidence of that taking place.
Over the last two years, we have seen schools use the programme to support the delivery of democratic education in the Curriculum for Wales.
Secondary schools have delivered Digital Dialogue: Wales through the Humanities area of the curriculum, with learners developing a better understanding of the Welsh political system and social and political issues. Eirias High School, uniquely, has used the programme as part of the Health and Well-Being area, helping learners to become ethical, informed citizens.
Four Sixth Form colleges have embedded the programme into their A Level Politics curriculum, with classes using Digital Dialogue: Wales to provide real world context to their A-Level studies. For example, Ysgol Dinas Bran took part in the Leader Dialogue sessions for this purpose.
Long-term engagement
We have now supported 31 of our teachers to deliver the programme for several cycles, with some consistently working with us since 2021.
During this time we have seen schools grow in confidence to deliver this work. Some have expanded the programme to deliver to more of their learners, where others have expanded their teaching around democracy and politics.
In response to the statement ‘I would like to continue delivering Digital Dialogue: Wales’ 100% of teachers ‘strongly agreed’, after participating in the programme.
Off-boarding teachers
One of the most successful elements of the programme is where schools and teachers feel able to continue to deliver the programme without our direct support.
11% of teachers have reported that after working with us they now feel confident to deliver the programme independently.
Most are politics or humanities teachers who feel comfortable arranging contact with politicians themselves once they have built relationships through the programme.
Around half of these teachers now just return to work with us for “special” versions of the programme, such as Leader Dialogues, the Hustings or Digital Dialogue USA.
Other teachers emphasise the challenges they would face in organising political contact without our support. These teachers cited concerns about capacity, highlighting the ongoing issues of limited time and resources for delivering democratic education.
Engagement beyond the programme
We have also seen evidence that teachers that took part in the programme have engaged with our other programmes.
In the last year we have seen 138 teachers and practitioners in Wales engage with our online resources hub, Democracy Classroom, of which 20 were also delivering Digital Dialogue Wales.
We have also seen 9 schools and colleges who have taken part in Digital Dialogue: Wales engage with our Digital Dialogue: USA programme.
