Teachers: key factors for preparing students to contribute in a democratic society

Kosovar society is facing social reforms. Deep reforms are being conducted in the field of education. Education in Kosovo aims to prepare its citizens to live in a democratic society. In this context, teachers have a major role. Through civic education, they have the opportunity to help their students develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values required in a democratic society. The purpose of this study is to present the teacher’s role for preparing students to contribute in democratic society. Also, in this paper we will present the opinions of the students about the role of their teachers for citizenship education. The research was conducted in 142 primary schools in rural and urban areas. The research included Kosovar students of different nationalities, social backgrounds, religions, genders, etc. A standardized questionnaire has been used for the research and, as the research involves a rather large number of respondents (1700), we consider that the findings of this survey are representative of all primary schools in Kosovo. In each of the schools where the research was conducted, an eighth class was selected, and within that same class, 10 students were selected to participate in the research. The selection of classes was done based on the following criteria: in the first school, the first class was selected, in the second school, middle classes were selected, and consequently, in the third school, the last classes were selected. This method was used in all the schools included in the research. Students were selected randomly applying thus the principle of random sampling. Analysis of the data shows the teachers’ role in preparing their students to overcome the challenges they face, and on the other hand, their role in preparing their students in democratic spirit. In the end we can say that the findings from this research will help teachers and other relevant stakeholders to develop democracy and promote its values. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n19p23