This study targets an under-examined link in the policy-to-practice chain: the teachers themselves. By applying a qualitative, grounded theory approach to analyze interview and observation data collected from public primary schools, teacher training institutes and other key sites in Madagascar where best practices in civic education have recently been adopted, this research presents original insight into the ways in which teachers conceptualize and execute their role as civic educator in a democratizing state.
The impact of training and the diverse obstacles emerging from political and economic underdevelopment are examined and analyzed.
Emerging from this analysis, a new approach to conceptualizing civic education programs is proposed in which a direct (‘front-door’) and an indirect (‘back-door’) approach to the development of democracy through civic education are assigned equal credence as legitimate, situationally-appropriate alternatives to utilize in the effort to strengthen political institutions, civil society and citizen participation in developing democracies around the world.