`All you need is an idea!': the impact of values-based participation on pupils' attitudes towards social activism and enterprise

Education for citizenship has the teaching of controversial issues, the exploration of social values and the fostering of active participation at its core. This article focuses on a case study of 11-year-old pupils in a Scottish primary school, who were exposed to a new programme underpinned by values-based participation. The pupils initiated their own research into social issues of particular concern to them and used this as the basis for promoting enterprising ideas for social change. Non-participant observation of the work of the class combined with follow-up questionnaires and discussion groups enabled the researcher to establish pupils' views about social issues in a deeper sense, as well as establishing the way in which pupils' attitudes towards `enterprise' evolved. The findings illustrate that the pupils gained some useful skills in critical reflection, became more aware of their own potential for social activism and gained a wider perspective on communitarian principles.