International Civic and Citizenship Education Study, 2009

The International Civic and Citizenship Education Study, 2009 (known as ICCS) is an international assessment of the ways in which young people are prepared to undertake their roles as citizens, conducted in 38 countries. It investigated student knowledge and understanding of civics and citizenship as well as students' perceptions, attitudes, and activities related to civics and citizenship. It also examined differences among countries in these outcomes and the relationship of these outcomes to students' individual characteristics and family backgrounds, to teaching practices, and to school and broader community contexts.
Like its predecessor IEA Civic Education Study, 1999 (CIVED), ICCS 2009 included a student test of civic knowledge and understanding, as well as questionnaires for students, teachers, and school principals. The comprehensive core assessment was complemented by three regional modules for Asia, Europe, and Latin America, designed to flexibly recognize regional interests and investigate related aspects of civic and citizenship education. The survey data were supplemented by information about the national contexts for civic and citizenship education gathered by the national research centers of the participating countries.
Data were collected in 2008-2009 under the auspices of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). ICCS collected data from more than 140,000 Grade 8 (or equivalent) students in more than 5,300 schools from 38 countries. These student data were augmented with data from more than 62,000 teachers in those schools and further contextual data collected from school principals and national research centers.