The model of teachers’ perceptions of ‘good citizens’: Aligning with the changing conceptions of ‘good citizens’

The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers’ perceptions of ‘good citizens’ using the Model of Teachers’ Perceptions of ‘Good Citizens’. Teachers play essential roles in the nurturing of students’ civic values because they are key figures in implementing education and curriculum policies in schools. A mixed methods approach was employed to address Hong Kong primary teachers’ perceptions of good citizens. A total of 1089 teachers from 131 Hong Kong primary schools participated in the quantitative study. Subsequently, 29 teachers from twelve schools were chosen for interview. According to the Model of Teachers’ Perceptions of Good Citizens, the findings revealed that teachers perceived good citizens to be those who not only possessed civic knowledge, conservative values, and concern for others in society but were also critical and active citizens. The Model of Teachers’ Perceptions of Good Citizens provided an explanation for the gap between good citizens as advocated by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government and good citizens as embraced by groups within Hong Kong society. This study contributes to the body of literature on teachers’ perceptions of civic education by offering a new lens for thinking about teachers’ perceptions of good citizens.