Civic education in dominican higher education: need for its transformation today

In the Dominican Republic, civic education has been progressively displaced from initial teacher training, despite its importance for the development of critical, ethical, and participatory citizenship. This research aimed to establish a theoretical and methodological framework to guide the transformation of civic education in initial teacher training at the elementary level at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD). A qualitative, theoretical and documentary approach was adopted, supported by historical-logical, analytical-synthetic, and systematization methods, complemented by documentary analysis and direct observation. The results reveal the absence of a coherent curricular structure, the fragmented treatment of civic education, and the lack of preparation of future teachers to assume their role as educators in democratic values. Based on these limitations, a conception is proposed that articulates ethical, political, and legal dimensions with active and contextualized pedagogical strategies. It is concluded that transforming civic education is essential to consolidate comprehensive teacher training committed to democracy, equity, and social justice.