Fostering Active Citizenship Through Experiential Learning In Civic Education:Insights From Selected Secondary Schools In Nakonde District,Zambia

This study investigated how experiential learning strategies in Civic Education foster active citizenship among learners in four selected secondary schools in Nakonde District,Zambia.Drawing on a qualitative descriptive case study design within an interpretivist paradigm,the study involved 32 participants comprising eight Civic Education teachers and twenty-four Grade 12 learners.Data were generated through classroom observations,semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions and were analysed thematically.The findings revealed that experiential learning strategies contribute significantly to the development of active citizenship competencies by deepening learners’ civic awareness and understanding,enhancing essential civic skills and cultivating civic dispositions such as environmental stewardship.However,variations in implementation intensity influence the depth of active citizenship formation across schools.The study concludes that experiential learning strategies transform Civic Education from knowledge transmission to competence-based civic formation.Its transformative potential,however,depends on structured integration,institutional support,and sustained opportunities for reflective civic engagement.By providing context-specific evidence from a resource-constrained rural setting,the study contributes to scholarship on experiential civic education.Recommendations include institutionalising systematic experiential learning frameworks and the strengthening of school-community partnerships to enhance authentic civic participation.