Relevant Research

A great deal of research and data have been generated on a variety of topics relating to civic learning and engagement.  Below is a sampling from the premier research center on youth civic engagement, the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE).  These illustrative research projects were funded by or conducted by CIRCLE staff.  Check the CIRCLE website, www.civicyouth.org, for new research and findings.

Impacts of Social Networks and School-Based Programs
Content for Social Studies and Civics Classes
School Culture and Student Voice
Demographics
Civic Knowledge and Skills
Service Learning
Concepts of Citizenship

Impacts of Social Networks and School-Based Programs

CIRCLE Working Paper 12: Civic Education through National Service by Melissa Bass (http://www.civicyouth.org/research/products/working_papers.htm)

Summary: This paper explores the relationship between national service and civic education through a study of the Civilian Conservation Corps and VISTA, to see what lessons we might learn and apply to the nation's current program, AmeriCorps.

CIRCLE Working Paper 09 The Effects of Catholic School on Civic Participation by Thomas Dee (http://www.civicyouth.org/research/products/working_papers.htm)
CIRCLE Working Paper 08: Are There Civic Returns to Education?  by Thomas Dee (http://www.civicyouth.org/research/products/working_papers.htm)

Summary: These two reports by Dr. Dees take an in-depth look at the correlation between education and civic engagement. Dee's research considers factors previous research has ignored and provides new evidence that increased educational attainment may indeed lead to increased civic engagement.

Cynthia Gibson, From Inspiration to Participation: A Review of Perspectives on Youth Civic Engagement (The Grantmaker Forum on Community and National Service, 2001). (http://www.pacefunders.org/publications/pubs/Moving%20Youth%20report%20REV3.pdf)

Summary: Discusses the definition and measurement of civic engagement, elaborating on the youth involvement in civil society. Provides four approaches to encouraging youth civic engagement, which include civic education, service-learning, political action, and youth development (abstract from The Foundation Center).

Joseph Kahne, Bernadette Chi, and Ellen Middaugh, CityWorks Evaluation (Los Angeles: Constitutional Rights Foundation, 2002). (http://www.crf-usa.org/e-News/e-news_CityWorks_Eval.doc)

Summary: This report summarizes findings from a study of the Constitutional Rights Foundation (CRF) CityWorks curriculum.  This high school government curriculum was designed to respond to growing recognition of the need to promote commitments and capacities associated with civic engagement.  The data consists of pre/post surveys from CityWorks classes and control classrooms.  Researchers also observed classrooms and collected interview data through focus groups.

CIRCLE Working Paper 02: The Role of Adolescent Extracurricular Activities in Adult Political Engagement by Mary Kirlin. (http://www.civicyouth.org/research/products/working_papers.htm)

Summary: The paper gives a comprehensive snapshot of the broad and varied research findings on civic skills—skills that enable people to take effective civic action such as writing letters to a member of Congress or defending a position on a public issue.  In addition, the paper includes a new typology of civic skills and provides direction for future research.

CIRCLE Working Paper 07: The Civic Bonding of School and Family by Michael McDevitt (http://www.civicyouth.org/research/products/working_papers.htm)

Summary: This paper provides a comprehensive explanation of how Kids Voting USA, an interactive civics curriculum, brings together two powerful institutions—schools and families— to address generational declines in political aptitude.

Pearson, Sarah S. and Voke, Heather M. Building an Effective Citizenry: Lessons Learned from Initiatives in Youth Engagement.  American Youth Policy Forum. Washington, DC. 2003. (http://www.aypf.org/pubs.htm)

Summary: Programs designed to generate youth engagement are extremely varied. The American Youth Policy Forum organized a series of field trips and panel discussions to address the variety of programs and opportunities available, as well as some of the problems associated with this type of activity.  This paper outlines the findings from nine events which took place in 2002 and 2003. 

CIRCLE Working Paper 14: The Relationship between Secondary Education and Civic Development: Results from Two Field Experiments with Inner City Minorities by John Phillips (http://www.civicyouth.org/PopUps/WorkingPapers/WP14 Phillips.pdf)

Summary: This study found the effects of local service learning to be small and elusive. In one experiment, he measures whether students who engage in clubs have different levels of civic knowledge and attitudes. Participation had little impact on civic knowledge and attitudes.

Civic and Political Health of the Nation                (http://www.civicyouth.org/research/products/youth_index.htm)

Summary:  This study analyzes two comprehensive surveys of the nation's civic and political behavior -- from voting to volunteering -- and chronicles the differences among four separate generations ("DotNets", "Generation X", "Baby Boomers", and "Matures").

Content for Social Studies and Civics Classes

Silverman, Fran. "Hot Button Handling" District Administration. November, 2003. pg. 24-27. (http://www.districtadministration.com/page.cfm?p=543)

Summary: Developing course content for social studies and civics classes that covers important but controversial topics has proven to be difficult for many school districts. While many educators argue that critical thinking skills are developed through discussion of issues facing the nation, many parent, political and religious groups argue that schools are not the place to discuss controversial issues such as abortion, creationism, or the War in Iraq. Teachers and administrators are stuck in the middle; trying to teach critical thinking skills while also trying to prevent a public uproar. This article offers tips for covering "hot-button" issues in a manner that is sensitive to all sides of the issue. Abstract written by E. Kirby.

CIRCLE Working Paper 18: Politics: The Missing Link of Responsible Civic Education by Kenneth S. Stroupe, Jr. and Larry J. Sabato   (http://civicyouth.org/re search/areas/hs_civic.htm)

Summary: This CIRCLE working paper shows emphasizing elections in civics classes has a positive impact on political knowledge. The research compares classes that used the National Youth Leadership Initiative (YLI) curriculum and a control group of similar classes that did not.

National Youth Survey 2004                                                                (http://www.civicyouth.org/re search/products/national _youth_survey2004.htm)

Summary: CIRCLE, in collaboration with the Center for Democracy and Citizenship at the Council for Excellence in Government, released a survey of 1,000 Americans between the ages of 15 and 25. The survey was conducted by Democratic pollsters Lake Snell Perry & Associates and Republican pollsters The Tarrance Group. It was in the field November 17-24, 2003.

Richard G. Niemi and Chris Chapman, The Civic Development of 9th- Through 12th-Grade Students in the United States: 1996 (National Center for Education Statistics, Statistical Analysis Report: 1996) (http://www.civicyouth.org/research/products/survey_articles_outside7.htm)

Summary: Concern that the next generation of Americans may not be willing or able to engage in the democratic process has been growing. The report is designed to study this concern by focusing on five key factors associated with a desire and an ability to participate politically: levels of political knowledge; attention to politics; political participatory skills; degrees of political efficacy; and tolerance of diversity.

School Culture and Student Voice

Meir, Deborah. "So What Does it Take to Build a School for Democracy?" Phi Delta Kappan. 85 (1) 15-21. (http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/ktoc0309.htm)

Summary: The author outlines five guiding propositions that can help schools create a democratic school culture and then highlights exemplary schools that have put these suggestions into practice. Additionally the author looks at new ways to assess progress, address ways to overcome gaps in quality of life outside of school and challenges educators to make civic education a real priority. Abstract written by E. Kirby.

Demographics

Payne, Charles. "More Than a Symbol of Freedom: Education for Liberation and Democracy" Phi Delta Kappan. 85 (1) 22-28. (http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/kt oc0309.htm)

Summary: This article explores the important role that history can play in helping African American youth increase levels of civic engagement.  The author argues that African American youth today are confused about the past and suggests that this confusion raises important questions about their levels of civic engagement. One suggested way to increase civic engagement among this population is to return to the model of the Freedom Schools where appreciation of the African American history is connected to a sense of social responsibility. Abstract written by E. Kirby.

Civic Knowledge and Skills

Kahne, Joseph, and Westheimer, Joel.  2003.  “Teaching Democracy: What Schools Need to Do.”  Phi Delta Kappan 85 (1) 34-66. (http://www.democraticdialogue.com/DDpdfs/TeachingDemocracyPDK.pdf)

Summary:  The researchers studied 10 educational programs whose objective — to develop democratic citizens — is largely ignored by school reform policy. Schools can fulfill this mission, they discovered, through specific strategies that promote civic commitments, capacities, and connections. 

Torney-Purta, J. & Amadeo, J. (with a chapter by F. Pilotti) (2004).  Strengthening Democracy in the Americas through Civic Education: An Empirical Analysis Highlighting the Views of Students and Teachers. Washington, D.C.: Organization of American States. (http://www.oas.org/udse/)

Summary: The report is designed to stimulate dialogue throughout the region about the contribution of civic education to democracy for adolescents (aged 14 and 17-18). The authors used the recently released IEA Civic Education Study data from Chile, Colombia, Portugal and the United States in their analyses. Among the parts of the OAS report of special interest are performance statistics by country at the item level from the test of civic knowledge/skills and from scales assessing concepts of democracy and citizenship. This allows researchers and educators to see where the strengths and weaknesses of knowledge lie among students in these four countries. There is a chapter about economic knowledge and attitudes, as well as chapters about the media, several forms of engagement, trust, teachers, and support for rights. Abstract written by the author.

Service-Learning

The National Service-Learning Clearninghouse (NSLC) library catalog contains summaries of a wide variety of articles, publications, and other materials on service-learning as well as community service, civic education, and other related topics.  Some articles are available online, and photocopies of all materials are available for a fee.  Learn and Serve America grantees and staff of the Corporation for National and Community Service can borrow library materials.  See http://www.servicelearning.org/article/archive/19

Hunter, Susan, and Brisbin, Richard.  2000.  “The Impact of Service-Learning on Democratic and Civic Values.”  PS: Political Science and Politics 33 (3) 623-626. http://www.apsanet.org/PS/sept00/hunter.cfm

Summary: Part of a special section on service learning in political science. The writers analyze whether service learning experiences can raise students' generally low estimation of the legitimacy of democratic governance and reverse their lack of support for civic life. They report that their findings imply that students who have a service experience will view the experiences positively and will be inclined to pursue other service opportunities.

Walker, Tobi.  2000.  “The Service/Politics Split: Rethinking Service to Teach Political Engagement.”  PS: Political Science and Politics 33 (3) 646-649. (http://www.apsanet.org/PS/sept00/walker.cfm)

Summary:  The author discusses the dramatic split in thinking about service and politics as very different types of activities with very different value structures. She asserts that if students only regard civic engagement as individual, results-driven activity, they are not necessarily challenging institutions in power. She argues that it is the educators' task to take the students' experiences and help them understand the bigger social and political context. In order to help students comprehend and address systems of power, she advocates helping students to think about service and politics as a continuum of activities rather than as two distinct activities (abstract by NSLC)

Concepts of Citizenship

Westheimer, Joel, and Kahne, Joseph.  2002.  “Educating the Good Citizen: The Politics of School-Based Civic Education Programs.”  Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Boston, MA. (http://apsaproceedings.cup.org/Site/papers/009/009001Westheimer.pdf)

Summary:  This paper details three types of "good citizens": personally responsible, participatory, and justice oriented.  These emerged from analysis of both democratic theory and a two year study of educational programs that aim to promote democracy.  Drawing on both quantitative and qualitative data from two of the programs we studied, the authors argue that these three conceptions embody significantly different beliefs regarding the capacities and commitments citizens need in order for democracy to flourish; and they carry significantly different implications for pedagogy, curriculum, evaluation, and educational policy.  (abstract from authors)

For more research articles please see:

http://www.civicyouth.org/research/products/survey_articles.htm