Category #2
Methods for reflecting on democratic competences with educators

The methods presented in this subchapter are explicitly related to the Council of Europe's Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture (RFCDC) and aim to contribute to self-reflection on the part of educators and multipliers. Democratic culture is not something that one can learn once – it cannot be installed, it has to be developed and constantly adjusted to new situations. This process of adapting one’s own democratic professional ethos demands (self-)reflection. We know that framework conditions for teachers or youth/social workers are not always supportive; in this regard, (self-)reflection can help them to explore their room for manoeuvre in their specific educational setting. “Teachers and other educators have a massive impact on learners as significant others, role models and facilitators of learning processes and are far more than transmitters of knowledge. Educators can support learners in becoming independent thinkers, good co-operators, and self-confident participants in dialogue, discussion and decision making. They can support learners in becoming active citizens.” (Lenz et al. 2021).