Learners as implied citizens: the early emergence of curricular discourses on citizenship in lessons about writing

This paper investigates writing classrooms as a space for children to engage within a community as citizens, including their engagement with the classroom (and school) communities, as well as their participation in the broader sociocultural context through writing practices. Looking at writing lessons that are not connected to civics and citizenship education, the article specifically aims to show how classroom interactions imply opportunities for students to act as citizens. The findings reveal that children’s practices of citizenship relate to the norms and expectations of the communities they are part of, and involve their engagement in critical reflection and the communication of their thoughts. In addition, the findings show that there is less attention to collaborative problem-solving, self-regulation and shared decision-making. We illustrate how opportunities to practice citizenship revolve around personal and contextual conditions navigated by teachers and students in these writing lessons. We conclude with implications for research and practice.