Abstract:

The aim of a modern Lithuanian general education school is to focus on the development of the pupil's personality, on his/her own active, conscious learning, providing adequate support for the pupil to develop competences relevant for life and to become active members of the civic community, capable of creative problem solving and critical thinking, with social communication abilities and skills, as well as with the abilities to form, justify and argue for their attitudes towards social and cultural issues, and to take part in the life of a democratic state and the life of a civil society.

Lithuanian higher education institutions aim to train teachers who are not only a source of knowledge and an organiser of classroom activities, but also an assistant, advisor, encourager, feedback provider, reflexive researcher and developer of educational practice. Future childhood educators need to acquire competences that help children to develop critical thinking, the skills to engage in debate on issues and express their opinions, to eliminate stereotypes and prejudices, and to develop attitudes and behaviours that can help them to become active citizens in the future.

The aim of the study is to uncover the links between preservice childhood educators' personal experiences of civic education and their preparedness for children's civic education in school.

The content analysis of the semi-structured interviews revealed that future childhood educators have a mixed perception of citizenship: the acquisition of civic competence is highlighted, as well as the emphasis on the relationship with one's own country and the relationship with other citizens of one's own country is noted. The interviewees revealed their personal experiences of citizenship education at school and the knowledge and skills they acquired and lacked during their studies. The prospective teachers, evaluating some of their negative experiences of citizenship education, revealed the ways in which they think children's citizenship should be developed at school.

The results and insights gained from the study will allow for the improvement of the preparation of future childhood educators in higher education for the development of children's citizenship at school.

Keywords:

Citizenship, citizenship education, future childhood educators, preparation for citizenship education.