In their book Lifelong Citizenship: Lifelong Learning as a Lever for Moral and Democratic Values, Dorit Alt and Nirit Raichel highlight that citizenship is a ‘lifelong and life-wide’ status, and explore the role of adult education in facilitating ‘individual members of society to continue learning and improving their skills in the face of changing democratic societies’ (p. vii). The authors focus in particular on teacher education and the role of teachers, emphasising the twin roles of teachers as those ‘required to prepare the young generation for democratic citizenship and instil lifelong learning skills and, at the same time, to serve as moral agents, to be role models of democratic, caring and involved citizens’ (p. vii). The authors identify as one of the purposes of the book that they wish to ‘shed light on how teachers are educated and to suggest innovative teaching practices that will provide them with the cognitive, social and moral lifelong learning competencies’ (p. ix) needed for global and societal citizenship. In their volume, Alt and Raichel cover various facets relevant to lifelong citizenship, including the dimensions of lifelong learning and their connections to civic-democratic skills, Value and Knowledge Education (VaKE), digital media as a tool to engage individuals in citizenship, active teaching methods such as problem-based learning (PBL) and project-based learning (PjBL), and assessment of lifelong learning. In their exploration of higher education’s function in this important realm, they present useful examples from education that enable readers to appreciate the role of higher education, particularly with reference to teacher education.

While all of the volume’s chapters offer discussions of important aspects of lifelong citizenship, I want to draw attention to two in particular. The first was their chapter on digital media literacy skills. Drawing on the conceptualisation of digital citizenship as the use of information technology to engage in society, politics and government activities, Alt and Raichel offer an overview of how digital media can enhance the skills needed for the current global society, such as literacy, communication and critical thinking skills, alongside the skills needed to create content using various technologies. In the chapter, they focus particularly on gamification, a current and upcoming trend, to facilitate educational environments that offer students opportunities to enhance their digital and media literacy skills. Using the example of a platform named To-Be Education, the authors share outcomes of educational activities facilitated through the platform, including the opportunity for students to express, and be exposed to, various voices and perspectives, to engage in problem solving, and to enhance their skills sets. This is significant given the technological age in which we currently live, as well as the increased thrust to utilise technology in teaching and learning.

The second chapter that I wish to speak to is their chapter on PBL, PjBL and outdoor learning. This chapter is significant because the significance of these active teaching methods to one of the pillars outlined in the Delors report (Delors et al., Reference Delors, Al Mufti, Amagi, Carneiro, Chung, Geremek and Nanzhao1996) — the ‘learning to do’ pillar— can be clearly seen. Additionally, the utilisation of these approaches to bridge the gap between theory and practice is also evidenced. For both those unfamiliar with these approaches as well as those who are au fait with them, the authors provide concise, useful overviews of each, showing how they centralise the students in the learning experiences, expose students to more meaningful learning experiences, expose students to authentic, real-world problems in their environments, and enhance various skills such as communication, creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking. To illustrate the capabilities and benefits of the approaches, Alt and Raichel then share case studies of each. For instance, sharing an example of PBL in an education course that was part of an Education BA program at a college in Israel and that involved students from different cultures (Jews, Arabs, Druze, Circassian) and religions, the authors share student feedback that included sentiments such as ‘It was good to work in a group; I succeeded in bonding with the Jewish students’ and ‘It was interesting to get to know Druze culture’ (p. 81). Thus, in their use of real examples, they are able to successfully illustrate how approaches such as these offer an opportunity for greater respect, tolerance, and understanding of different groups within society.

We are currently living in an increasingly global and interconnected society, yet one that is riddled with conflict, tension and division. This volume is important in the context of not only traditional national citizenship, but global citizenship as well. Guo (Reference Guo2014) posits that teacher preparation programs do not adequately prepare prospective teachers with either theoretical understanding or professional skills to facilitate students’ global citizenship in the context of increasingly diverse classrooms as well as an increasingly interconnected global society. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) also notes the importance of global citizenship in our current world context, highlighting that the concept ‘refers to a sense of belonging to a broader community and common humanity’ (UNESCO, 2015, p. 14), and identifying particular cognitive, socio-emotional and behavioural outcomes. Alt and Raichel’s volume responds to the point raised by Guo by offering teacher educators and pre- and inservice teachers in education programs a theoretical grounding in some of the main issues surrounding lifelong citizenship and adult education, as well as practical examples that can serve as a foundation for similar educational practices in varying contexts. Additionally, and of significance, the practical examples shared offer readers a very real vision of how some of these educational practices can develop the cognitive, socio-emotional and behavioural outcomes that UNESCO identifies. Indeed, at the end of their chapter on social cohesion, inclusion and justice, the authors make the critical point that teachers’ efforts to minimise conflict in the classroom can result in the silencing of opinions and perspectives that might lead to meaningful discussion and enhanced understanding. On the contrary, they propose that ‘educational leaders with intense moral purpose should understand that such practices that aim at providing students with skills and knowledge on how to live together are of high importance’ (p. 118). Indeed, this classroom dialogue, which could have the potential to create tension and conflict, can actually result in reduced societal and global tension and conflict in the long run if approached in the right manner.

The imperative to challenge and change teacher education is woven throughout the volume in order to build teachers’ competencies to both teach citizenship and model citizenship. Citing Kaser and Halbert, the authors emphasise that a shift is needed from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset: ‘This requires a different way of thinking, new forms of teamwork, focused efforts, continuous learning and passionate commitment’ (Kaser & Halbert, as cited in Alt & Raichel, p. 16). The authors’ blend of theory and practice makes the book accessible as well as applicable to various readers. The authors themselves cite the book’s value to education students and preservice teachers, higher education lecturers and teachers, curriculum designers, policy makers and decision makers, and researchers. I would go further to propose that anyone with a general interest in citizenship and, more broadly, some of the adjectival educational paradigms critical for our global world today such as education for sustainable development and peace education, will find this book a worthwhile read.