Many school systems integrate the teaching of economic and civic issues in one subject. This raises the question, whether economic and civic literacy should be considered unified or distinct domains. This paper examines the relationship between these two domains using data from two large-scale assessments using the same representative sample of 2848 Grade 8 students in Germany: Economic Literacy – Assessing the Status Quo in Grade 8 and the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study 2022 . In these large-scale assessments, standardised tests measured economic and civic literacy and the respective self-efficacies. Exploratory factor analyses and structural equation modelling support a two-domain structure of economic and civic literacy observed in large-scale assessment data. The analysis reveals distinct results regarding the influence of literacy levels on self-efficacy in both civic and economic literacy. Moreover, the correlations between economic and civic literacy are specific to school types in the tracked school system in Germany. The analysis is based on a cross-sectional study, limiting the possibility for causal inferences. Despite its limitations, the study underscores the need for educational strategies that treat economic and civic education as distinct domains to enhance specific literacies and self-efficacy in both domains.

In Zeiten fundamentaler Umbrüche braucht eine funktionierende Demokratie politische Bildung mehr denn je. Bislang fehlt es jedoch an belastbaren Daten, die diese Relevanz auch empirisch belegen. Der Pilotmonitor politische Bildung liefert vergleichbare Indikatoren darüber, wie Lernende politische Bildung erfahren, Organisationen diese umsetzen und Bildungspersonal darauf vorbereitet wird, politische Bildung zu vermitteln. In den vier Bereichen Schule, Hochschule, Lehrkräftebildung der zweiten und dritten Phase sowie außerschulische Bildung werden vorliegende und selbst erhobene Daten analysiert. Ein regelmäßig wiederkehrendes, datenbasiertes und bereichsübergreifendes Monitoring der politischen Bildung soll künftig das Indikatorensystem als Basis für informierte Entscheidungen verbreitern, Herausforderungen für die Entwicklung politischer Bildung identifizieren und die öffentliche Aufmerksamkeit für die politische Bildung sichern.

Der Beitrag begreift Bildungsstandards als Orientierung gebende Institution, die in unterschiedlicher Form umgesetzt werden kann. Zunächst wird die Unterscheidung in Input-, Prozess- bzw. Ergebnisstandards mit Beispielen für den Bereich der politischen Bildung dargelegt. Sodann erfolgt eine Fokussierung auf Ergebnisstandards. Es werden einschlägige Konzepte vorgestellt, die sich im Kontext des deutschen Fachdiskurses zur politischen Bildung herausgebildet haben. Gemeinsam ist ihnen die Einteilung in Strukturdimensionen, während sie keine Leistungsniveaus operationalisieren. Ergänzend werden zwei internationale Konzeptionen, mit unterschiedlicher Dimensionierung und unterschiedlichen Methoden zur Festlegung von Leistungsniveaus, dargestellt (Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture, International Civic and Citizenship Education Study). Vor diesem Hintergrund werden Empfehlungen für die weitere Entwicklungsarbeit zu Bildungsstandards für die politische Bildung in Deutschland formuliert.

The article considers educational standards as an institution that aims to provide orientation but can be implemented in different ways. Initially, the distinction between input, process and outcome standards is concretised with examples from the field of civic education. This is continued with a focus on outcome standards. The relevant concepts that have emerged in the context of the German scientific discourse on civic education are presented. What they have in common is a differentiation of structural dimensions, while they do not operationalise performance levels. In addition, two international concepts with different dimensions and different methods for determining performance levels are presented (Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture, Interna tional Civic and Citizenship Education Study). Against this background, recommendations are formulated for further development work on educational standards for civic education.

As digital transformation reshapes society, it is crucial to understand the evolving demands on education to prepare individuals for this new reality. Although the conceptualizations and objectives vary, digital citizenship education (DCE) typically aims to equip individuals with the competencies necessary not just to thrive in digital and democratic societies but also to critically analyze and actively shape them. However, existing efforts often focus too narrowly on technical skills and online safety, overlooking the broader notion of citizenship in educational contexts. This article addresses this gap by examining the conceptualization of citizenship within the field of DCE, led primarily by the structure of Choi’s (2016) concept analysis, and proposing a more comprehensive framework based on the citizenship ideals by Westheimer and Kahne (2004). Drawing on existing frameworks and synthesizing various DCE approaches, the article presents the Integrated Framework of Abilities for Digital Citizenship (Infra-DC). We then examine existing measurement instruments to determine their alignment with the proposed framework. This conceptual work contributes to advancing DCE efforts by promoting a nuanced understanding of citizenship and providing guidance for future research, program development, and evaluation.

ECON 2022 entwickelt ein Kompetenzmodell und einen Test zur ökonomischen Bildung auf der Grundlage von Lehrplananalysen für Jahrgang 8 an allgemeinbildenden Schulen. Der Fokus liegt auf Wissensbeständen und Fähigkeiten, die zu einer gelingenden Partizipation am wirtschaftlichen und gesellschaftlichen Leben erforderlich sind. Dazu werden auch Aspekte des nachhaltigen Wirtschaftens und Konsumierens integriert, die für die persönliche Lebensführung und politische Gestaltung einen essenziellen Bewertungsmaßstab darstellen. Zusätzlich werden begleitende Fragebögen zu den ökonomischen Bildungskontexten und Einstellungen der Jugendlichen entwickelt.

Background Authentic situations are considered a source of learning due to their real world relevance. This can encourage learners to acquire new knowledge. Increasing digitisation and associated resources, such as professional development opportunities for teachers, technology tools, or digital equipment for schools enable the development and implementation of authentic assessments. The basic academic principles for acquiring economic literacy are already provided in lower secondary school. This article examines, using the example of a new authentic technology-based assessment (TBA)-Economic Literacy-Assessing the Status Quo in Grade 8 (ECON 2022) -, the processes involved in constructing a TBA. The purpose is to develop a curricular valid measurement instrument for surveying the current state of economic literacy in the 8th grade of a German federal state. This study explores which economic competencies students-typically between 14 and 15 years of age-possess in Grade 8, and what level of competence can therefore be expected of them at the beginning of a vocational training programme. The assessment is geared toward the curriculum of the subject of economics and is based on a domain model. This article presents the background and construction process for the development of ECON 2022 as a TBA.Methods To check the validity of test construction with a focus on the implementation of the authentic assessment and an analysis of difficulty-generating characteristics, the ECON 2022 test items were validated with an expert survey (N = 25). The two-stage data analysis comprised a descriptive quantifying analysis of the rating from the difficulty-generating characteristics specificity, cognitive demand and modelling and the design criterion authenticity. A set of experts rated the criteria. The expert survey was then compared with a previously conducted rating by the research team. The analysis of free-text comments on individual items was carried out discursively and qualitatively by the research team. Both sources of information were used to adapt the test items to measured item difficulties from the field test. For this purpose, items of great difficulty were changed to slightly easier items. In this context, the paper focuses on two central research questions: - How does the authenticity of a test environment relate to difficulty-generating criteria at item level? - Does the authenticity of a test environment have an impact on test results?Results Results are as follows. (1) The ECON 2022 assessment offers an example of a test design in which the use of TBAs can support innovative and interactive item development. (2) Using the ECON 2022 assessment enabled the implementation of an assessment of economic literacy using authentic situations and the mapping of different facets of economic competence. (3) The validation study showed that the actual item difficulty did not correlate significantly with the authenticity of the assessment, and authenticity thus did not contribute to item difficulty.Conclusion The results of the study show that we were successful in developing an authentic TBA in ECON 2022. ECON 2022 allows us to examine economic literacy in schools with a high degree of curricular validity and relevance and to analyse what level of competence and knowledge can be expected of students when they enter a vocational training occupation.

Through civic education and social interactions at school, students are able to develop more or less political knowledge and trust in political institutions. Both precede intended electoral participation. However, it is disputed whether the relationship between political knowledge, trust, and intended participation is consistent across countries. We analyze data from the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study 2016 that consist of representative subsamples for 14-year-old students ( N = 14,567) in Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, and Germany (North Rhine-Westphalia). A structural equation model approach reveals that both political knowledge and trust in political institutions contribute to explaining variation in adolescents’ intended electoral participation. The effect of political knowledge is partly mediated by trust, which in turn is negatively associated with political knowledge in Bulgaria and Croatia and positively in Denmark and Germany (NRW). These results are discussed in the light of country-specific differences in the political context of civic education.