Effective Civic Education Research Articles

Teaching Civics: An Overview of Instructional Strategies Using Primary Sources, Role-Play and Simulations, and Academic Service Learning for Teaching Civic Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions

Civic education is essential to the perpetuation of American self-government. Despite this important role, civic education in the United States has been neglected for several decades and is only recently seeing a resurgence in the classroom and as a focus of research. Conceptions of what constitutes effective civic education vary widely, creating a great multiplicity in what is measured and how, and obfuscating which pedagogical practices are most effective. This paper provides an overview of civic education and the outcomes—including civic knowledge, civic skills, and civic dispositions—that are the goals of such education. We then examine three pedagogies—instruction through primary-source analysis, simulation-based learning, and academic service learning—and review examples of the civic outcomes of these pedagogies. We seek to answer several questions: How are these instructional practices defined? What debates and challenges surround their implementation? What evidence is there that such techniques result in civic outcomes? Finally, what implications are there for the social studies classroom? We demonstrate that these three pedagogies have the potential to improve civic learning, and that a mixture of engaging and effective pedagogies is ideal. We encourage further research on the civic outcomes resulting from the implementation of various pedagogies.

Promoting democratic values through civic education: A case of selected secondary schools in lusaka District, Zambia

Overview: Promoting democratic values through civic education is essential for fostering an informed and engaged citizenry capable of upholding democratic principles. Hence, this paper delves into the critical role of civic education in fostering democratic values within contemporary societies. The study was carried in Lusaka district from 6 selected secondary schools. Body of Knowledge: Civic education encompasses teaching the fundamentals of democracy, including the importance of individual rights, the rule of law, and the responsibilities of citizenship. Civic education serves as a counterbalance to authoritarian tendencies and political apathy by encouraging active and informed participation in public life. The analysis underscores the importance of early and continuous civic education to build a resilient democratic society that values diversity, equity, and justice. Methods: The study employed both the qualitative and quantitative methods and a descriptive survey design that sampled Head Teachers, Teachers of Civic Education, Community Members and students in Civic Education classes. The study consisted a sample of 300 respondents from the selected secondary schools. Data was obtained from the respondents by means of interviews and questionnaires. The qualitative data gathered was analyzed according to the themes of the study and the order of the research objectives. Data generated from the questionnaires (quantitative) were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (version 26) and Microsoft Excel (version 16) to come up with tables, and figures. Results: The comprehensive analysis revealed that effective civic education programs are characterized by an inclusive curriculum that integrates critical thinking, discussion of current events, and hands-on participation in democratic processes. These programs aim to cultivate a sense of civic duty, political efficacy, and tolerance among students. Empirical studies indicated that well-designed civic education can significantly enhance students' knowledge of political systems, their skills in democratic participation, and their commitment to democratic values. Recommendation: The government should; collaborate with education authorities to enhance democratic ideals in civic education curriculum; and through the education standard officer and other stakeholders need to enhance professional development workshops for teachers of civic education to enable them effectively teach and practice democratic ideals as espoused in civic education.

Civic education: a panacea for moral decadence among secondary school students in Ede community, Osun State, Vibic

This study examines civic education's potential as a panacea for moral decay among secondary school students in Ede community of Osun State, Nigeria. It looks at how civic education can give students the moral principles and direction they need to navigate daily life and make moral decisions. The study adopts a qualitative research methodology and gathers its data from secondary sources like books, academic journals, theses, and newspapers, among others. The results emphasis how common moral decadence affect students in secondary schools and how important it is to implement successful interventions of civic education. The paper also reveals that students who receive civic education are equipped with the knowledge and abilities needed to make ethical decisions because it instills values, virtues, and ethical concepts. The study concludes that effective civic education that would counteract moral decay needs the involvement of relevant stakeholders, such as schools, parents, teachers, and the community at large, to work together in an integrated manner.

자동화 머신러닝(AutoML)과 SHAP을 적용한 청소년의 다중시민성 유형 및 설명 변인 탐색

This study aims to investigate the typology of multiple citizenship among Korean adolescents and the predictive factors in the global era. The study analyzed data from the 6th wave of the 2013 Korean Educational Longitudinal Study and utilized latent profile analysis to explore the typology of multiple citizenship. To identify the predictive factors determining multiple citizenship, an automated machine learning algorithm was used to find the most performant model. SHAP (Shapley additive explanations) techniques were then applied to provide interpretable explanations of the machine learning results. The key findings are as follows. First, in the latent profile analysis, the multiple citizenship of adolescents was categorized into “high multiple citizenship,” “moderate multiple citizenship,” and “low multiple citizenship.” Second, the results of automated machine learning showed that gradient boosting exhibited the highest performance among machine learning techniques. When predicting the key variables related to adolescents’ multiple citizenship through machine learning, it was found that communication competence emerged as the most important predictor, followed by cognitive information processing skills, awareness of cultural and artistic activities, independent career maturity, educational experiences involving cultural diversity and international issues, gender, and relationships with teachers and peers. Based on these results, this study provides policy recommendations and implications for effective civic education for adolescents.

CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION (CIVIC EDUCATION) IN THE ERA OF DEMOCRATIZATION

This paper discusses about the linkage of democracy and civic education. Civic education is a vehicle to sustain and develop democracy. It is important to create democratic citizens and to support democracy. In response to the process of democracy in Indonesia, civic education should be reformed in order to prepare students to be good citizens. Effective civic education for democratic citizenship treats three basic components; knowledge of citizenship and government in democracy, cognitive skills of democratic citizenship, disposition and development characteristics of democratic citizenship

Solutions and Obstacles to Civic Education in a Smart City

Objective: This study aims to identify the strategies and obstacles for implementing civic education in smart cities. Methodology: The research employs a qualitative approach, utilizing semi-structured interviews with experts, including academic professionals and senior managers from the municipalities of Tehran, Tabriz, and Mashhad. Theoretical coding was used to analyze the data collected from these interviews. MAXQDA software facilitated the analysis, enabling the extraction of relevant concepts and the categorization of strategies and obstacles related to civic education in smart cities. Findings: The study identified several strategies for civic education in smart cities, categorized into managerial, organizational, individual, and educational strategies. Key strategies include managerial support for civic education initiatives, allocation of necessary budgets, provision of educational facilities, and fostering a learning culture within the municipal community. Additionally, the study highlighted significant obstacles, including the lack of professional trainers, insufficient creativity in educational delivery, inadequate budget allocation, and limited attention to social and economic development in designing civic education programs. Individual barriers such as insensitivity to the quality of education and lack of critical examination of educational values were also identified. Conclusion: The findings underscore the importance of structured civic education programs in the development of smart cities. Effective civic education can enhance citizens' knowledge of new technologies and innovative processes, contributing to the overall efficiency and sustainability of urban management. Addressing the identified obstacles through targeted strategies can facilitate the successful implementation of civic education in smart cities, ultimately leading to improved social, economic, and political outcomes.

PROMOTING CITIZEN PARTICIPATION FOR EFFECTIVE AND ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNANCE

Purpose: To achieve the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), strong political leadership, willingness to change and effective outcome-based governance will be required. Governments must align national policies with the SDGs' scope and complexity. Effective governance is critical to achieving the 17 goals. Good governance will help by creating an environment conducive to collective action, holding actors accountable, and dealing with emerging complex trade-offs between goals. The Kenya Vision 2030's political pillar is "a democratic political system that is issue-based, people-centred, result-oriented, and accountable to the public." This highlights the importance of citizen participation in governance. This study delved into what can be done to promote citizen participation to enhance effective and accountable governance in Kenya.
 Design/methodology/approach applied: Herein, a literature review approach, drawing from published peer-reviewed journal articles and grey literature (working papers, reports from credible databases of research institutions, and official government documents) was employed to elucidate discussions and conclusions.
 Main findings: Tightening the democracy-education nexus, which aims at awareness creation and capacity building, is critical to promoting citizen participation and improving effective and accountable governance. Education promotes political interests and fosters civic skills thereby increasing the likelihood of political participation. An effective civic education teaches citizens about their rights and responsibilities as citizens, as well as the functioning of the government. Civic education in a democracy is self-government education. Democratic self-government entails citizens actively participating in their governance rather than passively accepting the dictums or demands of others. Education, on the other hand, should be linked to inclusivity and diversity. 
 Practical implications: There is a need to develop an informed and empowered citizenry capable of successfully engaging in governance affairs to influence governance outcomes in the best interests of the community and posterity. Capacity building, similarly, should be an ongoing process incorporated into the community participatory framework or institutions at various administrative levels. Furthermore, training must be sensitive to, and target or capture, the community's various social categories' concerns and needs.
 Originality/value: While acknowledging the importance of addressing the status quo and need for citizen participation in governance, this study also delves into mechanisms that can be used to promote citizen participation in an intergenerational and intersectional manner while keeping in mind Kenya's national development blueprint, Vision 2030, as well as the United Nations' Agenda 2030 to "Leave No One, No Place Behind."

Становлення та розвиток громадянської освіти в США

The article highlights the genesis of the formation of American civic education and summarizes its main achievements in higher education in the United States today. It is noted that the United States is the world's oldest constitutional democracy with developed political institutions, the philosophical foundations of which serve as a model to follow, and the pedagogical experience in the field of civic education is useful for study and following. The contribution of the field of law to the formation of civic education in the United States and providing it with a qualitatively new vector of development is outlined. It is emphasized that in a constitutional democracy, effective civic education is a necessity, as it provides the development of the ability to think critically and act consciously in a pluralistic world, as well as competent and responsible participation in the life of both the local community and the state. It is noted that the active civic involvement of student youth requires the acquisition of civic knowledge, the development of intellectual and “soft skills”, as well as certain character traits, including moral and reasonable adherence to the fundamental values and principles of American constitutional democracy. It has been found that civic education in the United States, based on the intellectual and democratic traditions that link the modern era with the history of the American state, is the basis of both a country's democracy and the development of social responsibility of its citizens. In the late XXth – early XXIst century in the United States, there has been an increasing participation of students, university and college professors, the legal profession, and other public and private sector volunteers in the public and political life of American society. Accordingly, it contributes to a significant improvement of the content and organizational aspects of civic education, which is ensured by the quality of educational materials, the introduction of interactive teaching methods and the training of teachers for the field of civic education.

Громадянська освіта в Україні як засіб формування громадянської ідентичності

The importance of creating a system of civic education for the democratic transit of post-totalitarian countries and the formation of civic identity in such countries is revealed. The urgency of forming a civic identity for Ukraine is too high, because its existence should guarantee the further development of civil society, which has just begun to emerge in the country. One of the factors that can significantly influence the further development of civic identity is the creation and functioning of a system of civic education that could support the process of stable existence of relevant institutions. The purpose of this article is to analyze the developed concepts of civic education as a factor influencing the processes of formation of civic identity in modern Ukraine. The proposed concepts of civic education development in Ukraine are considered, including both official government projects and those proposed by initiative groups, in particular from the Institute of Civic Education NaUKMA. Conclusions are made on the implementation of changes in the current state of implementation of civic education in the country in order to meet its objectives of civic identity and ensure sustainable democratic development. The authors conclude that in the implementation and regulation of the functioning of civic education Ukraine has followed a certain, not always linear path, which is reflected in the creation of two different approaches to determining the content of civic education. According to the authors, the analysis of the approved and proposed concepts reveals the lack of a clear understanding of the essence of civic identity and the need to implement it in the texts of government programs. Effective civic education should provide for the practical consolidation of acquired knowledge and skills in the process of: a) active participation in the self-governing bodies of educational institutions; b) involvement of students and other young people in civic activities and volunteer projects aimed at developing the institutions of civil society and democracy; c) excursions, meetings with representatives of public administration, local self-government in order to get acquainted with the work of relevant institutions.

What Social Scientists Have Learned About Civic Education: A Review of the Literature

Historically there has been a relative dearth of social science research into civic education—even in political science, a discipline that had civic education as one of its founding objectives. This is partly due to the mistaken impression that civics instruction has no effect on civic and political participation, a conclusion that was once conventional wisdom but has since been refuted. More and more evidence has accumulated that well-designed civic education—both formal and informal—has meaningful, long-lasting effects on the civic engagement of young people. Existing research finds four aspects of schooling that affect civic learning and engagement: classroom instruction, extracurricular activities, service learning, and a school’s ethos. Furthermore, state-level civics exams can positively affect knowledge about politics and government. The unifying theme that arises from this burgeoning literature is that effective civic education can compensate for a dearth of civic resources in the home and community. However, the renaissance of research into civic education is only just beginning, as more needs to be done. The existing data are too limited, and randomized studies are rare. Truly advancing our understanding of civic education will require a large-scale, multi-method, interdisciplinary effort.

Making civic engagement go viral: Applying social epidemiology principles to civic education

This paper explores the connections between education for youth civic engagement and theories and strategies from public health (specifically, epidemiology). We illustrate this with four applications of epidemiologic theory to youth civic engagement: social determinants and fundamental causes, vulnerable populations and cumulative disadvantage, positive spillover, and herd immunity and critical mass. Formalizing concepts of current civics, in schools and the public, as a civic epidemic, we present a case for individual‐ and group‐level interventions based around targeted, school‐based, effective civic education initiatives. Grounded in epidemiological theory, such approaches call attention to the simultaneous need to improve broad civics education and ensure that particular populations receive necessary attentions.

The Impact of Country Characteristics on Civic Knowledge and Political Participation

Political participation scholars have argued for years over whether or not civic education has any effect on political participation, with no clear conclusion being drawn, despite a variety of analyses. These analyses tend to ignore the country characteristics and structural factors that influence the relationship between civic education and political participation. This article seeks to address the gap in the literature by using data from the International Civic and Citizen Study and other sources to show through quantitative analysis that country characteristics such as low economic development, stable state authority structures, and high inequality play a clear role in how effective civic education is in encouraging political participation. The article concludes by discussing limitations of the research and suggestions for future research.

Assessment and Tasks for Gyeonggi Province's 2nd Anniversary of Civic Education Ordinance

경기도에서는 학생들을 대상으로 한 교육청의 민주시민교육 조례와 일반 시민 들을 위한 민주시민교육이 조례로 제정되었다. 학교의 민주시민교육은 조례가 제정된 2015년 이전부터 일부 학교를 중심으로 실시되어 왔다. 경기도의 민주시민교육은 2017년 하반기부터 공모사업 형태로 본격적으로 실시되고 있는데, 어느 정도 성과를 거두고 있다고 평가할 수 있다. 이런 긍정적인 평가의 근거는 도의회와 민주 시민교육을 주관하는 경기도 평생교육진흥원, 그리고 이 교육의 실시 주체인 시민 단체 사이의 거버넌스가 비교적 잘 이뤄지고 있기 때문이다. 이와는 반대로 학교 내의 민주시민교육은 그리 성공적인 것 같지 않다. 실제로 민주시민교육에 적극적인 관심을 갖고 추진했던 교육감을 제외하고는 다수의 주체들이 이에 매우 소극적인 태도로 일관해 왔기 때문이다. 정치 의식화된 학생들에 대해 거부감을 갖는 교육부, 입시 중심의 수업을 원하는 다수의 학부모, 민주시민교육에 대한 전문성 부족과 과다 업무에 반발하는 다수의 교사, 영/수 등 입시 위주의 교과 편성 등은 학교에서의 민주시민교육이 정상화되지 못하는 요인들이다. 경기도에서의 민주시민교육이 효과적으로 추진되기 위해서는 전문성이 담보된 개별 주체들의 노력과 이를 실질적으로 지원할 수 있는 제도적 정치가 필요하다. 이런 노력이 결실을 맺어 민주시민교육이 성공적으로 추진된다면 국회도 민주시민교육의 입법화를 외면하기 어려울 것이며 타 지자체에도 긍정적인 파급효과를 거둘 수 있게 될 것이다. 끝으로 민주시민교 육은 국가적인 민주주의 역량을 강화시키는 가장 혁심적인 조건이기 때문에 그 누구도 이를 회피하거나 간과할 수 있는 선택사항이 아닌 것이다. 국회도 모든 국민이 체계적으로 학습할 수 있도록 정당의 정파적 이해관계를 떠나 민주시민교육의 제도 화를 위한 노력이 필요하다.Gyeonggido has issued a statute for civic education for students and a statute for civic education for citizens. The civic education for students was carried out in the school sector since the statute came into force in 2015. Civic education for citizens was carried out as of the second half of 2017 in the form of a public contest. There are already some positive results visible. This is because a effective governance between the assembly, the provincial institute for lifelong learning and the NGO s of Gyeonggido was build up. On the other hand, the concept of civic education for students has to be improved. Apart from the superintendent of education, who have been actively involved in this project, most of the participants tend to take a more reserved stance. The Ministry of Education rejects consciousness-raising students, many parents prefer education aimed at examination and many teachers are overwhelmed with an additional education program. Effective civic education in Gyeonggido needs professional participants and an institutional strategy that can actually support them. If this can be done successfully, it would also drive the legalization of civic education for citizens through the Gyeonggido assembly, and eventually positively impact further local governments. After all, civic education is the unmanageable key condition for promoting democracy within society. The Gyeonggido assembly must also endeavor for the institutionalization of civic education and provide citizens with systematic political education

Chinese teachers’ perceptions of the ‘good citizen’: A personally-responsible citizen

Conceptions of the ‘good citizen’ have implications for defining the goals of civic education and formulating civic education programs. In Mainland China, the concept of ‘good citizen’ is clearly defined by the authorities in the official curriculum guidelines. Teachers’ perceptions of a ‘good citizen’, however, may differ from any official definition and will influence their approaches to the implementation of civic education in schools. The research reported here used qualitative methods to explore some Chinese junior high school teachers’ perceptions of a ‘good citizen’, drawing on Westheimer and Kahne’s identification of three ‘visions of citizenship’ used in the US as a baseline. We argue that an effective civic education curriculum must consider teachers’ actual perceptions of a ‘good citizen’ in practice and that Chinese teachers’ awareness and understanding of citizenship needs to improve.

Chinese teachers’ perceptions of the ‘good citizen’: Implications for implementing China’s civic education curriculum

Abstract Conceptions of ‘good citizen’ have implications for defining the goals of civic education and formulating civic education programmes. In Mainland China, the concept of ‘good citizen’ is clearly defined by the authorities in official curriculum guidelines. Teachers’ perceptions of ‘good citizen’, however, may differ from any official definition and these perceptions may actually influence teachers’ approaches to the implementation of civic education in schools. The study reported here employs qualitative methods to compare how ‘good citizen’ is defined in the China’s official civics curriculum and junior high school teachers’ perceptions of ‘good citizen’. The purpose of the study is to investigate the extent of congruence between these two levels and to identify strategies for designing an effective civic education curriculum in China. This article argues that an effective civic education curriculum must consider teachers’ conceptions of ‘good citizen’ and teachers’ awareness of citizenship alongside ‘official’ statements.

Democratic citizenship: Responsible life in a free society

The Convention on the Rights of Child charges educators not only to respect children’s rights but also to prepare children to develop as responsible citizens in a free society. The Convention enriches the perspective of school psychologists by emphasizing the need to respect children’s rights while also promoting their competencies as political agents. The Convention also opens up new possibilities for school psychologists to collaborate with teachers and administrators in providing more effective civic education. Civic education should teach children not only about democratic institutions but also how to live democratically in their everyday lives. To this end civic education should not be limited to a course within the formal curriculum of the school. Schools ought to provide children with experiences of democratic governance by giving them the opportunity to make and enforce school rules and policies. School psychologists should help teachers to involve students in deliberations that affect their lives and to see discipline or classroom management as much more than a matter of establishing order through social control. With proper guidance and support children can learn how to deliberate together to uphold the rights of all and to pursue the common good.

Democracy, accountability, and education

Educational standards, assessments, and accountability systems are of immense political moment around the world. But there is no developed theory exploring the role that these systems should play within a democratic polity in particular. On the one hand, well-designed standards are public goods, supported by assessment and accountability mechanisms. They have the potential to serve democratic goods in particular, such as transparency, equality, and public discourse. On the other hand, their very potential to advance systemic democratic goods signals a level of reach and power that threatens the achievement of these same democratic values along other dimensions. This is especially evident in the contemporary United States. Adults’ democratically legitimate control over education within a democracy may well undercut children’s legitimate claims to receiving an education that equips them for democracy. Because the latter should trump the former, democratic goods are best achieved through embedding very limited educational standards, assessments, and accountability measures within an educational system that selects, trains, and provides ongoing support to civically engaged and thoughtful educators. Under such circumstances, they may promote a virtuous circle that builds capacity, motivation, and public support for strong and effective civic education practices, while still offering the adult public a strong democratic voice in public schools.

Effective civic education: an educational effectiveness model for explaining students' civic knowledge

In this study, a comprehensive educational effectiveness model is tested in relation to student's civic knowledge. Multilevel analysis was applied on the dataset of the IEA Civic Education Study (CIVED; Torney-Purta, Lehmann, Oswald, & Schulz, 2001), which was conducted among junior secondary-school students (age 14), their schools, and their teachers. In total, 28 countries, 4,136 classrooms, and 93,565 students were included in the analysis. The results indicated that the influences on students' civic knowledge are multilevel. Students' civic knowledge and skills were partially explained by individual characteristics, by factors related to quality and opportunities for civic learning offered by classrooms and class composition, and by factors at the national context level. We conclude that most effectiveness factors are relevant for the field of civic and citizenship education and that schooling and educational policy matter for students' success in this field.

‘They are the priests’: the role of the Moldovan historian and its implications for civic education

In present‐day Moldova there is a perpetuation and continuity of Soviet academic culture, in which history is viewed as ‘a science’ and not subject to a multiplicity of interpretations. A relatively small and interconnected group of historians dominate the academy and subsequently the textbook writing. They wield a great deal of power in socializing national subjects. The special place of historians in society creates an obstacle for effective civic education in the Moldovan classroom because it creates educational hierarchy, which is detrimental to the development of those skills and virtues that are considered essential for democratic society

Leave no voter behind: Seeking 100 percent voter registration and effective civic education

Leave no voter behind: Seeking 100 percent voter registration and effective civic education