Youth Engagement, Democratic Values, and Trust: Insights from the ICCS Study

The model of democracy has been challenged in recent decades, marked by the rise of populist far-right movements, growing mistrust towards democratic institutions and science, the proliferation of conspiracy theories, and increasing political alienation. Democracy cannot rely solely on institutions and laws; it must also be grounded in democratic values, attitudes, and practices that can also be cultivated through education. Civic and citizenship education plays a crucial role in this process by fostering young people's civic knowledge, democratic attitudes and civic engagement. This presentation is based on Estonian data from the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) 2022. The Estonian results reveal that, while students’ civic knowledge scores are generally high, participation rates—including the use of social media for political engagement—remain low compared to other ICCS countries. Notably, in contrast to trends observed in other nations, where individuals with higher levels of civic knowledge are more likely to use social media and the internet for civic engagement, the Estonian findings indicate the opposite. In Estonia, young people with lower levels of civic knowledge were more active in posting content, liking posts, and commenting on social and political issues. The findings also highlight a downward trend in young people's general trust in others. Trust, however, is a key prerequisite for active participation in schools, communities, and society at large. This presentation seeks to interpret these and other contradictory findings, while also offering examples of existing civic education practices that could empower young people to become more engaged citizens.