Numerous researchers have over recent years tried to study which factors were more paramount in citizenship development. An interesting development within this approach has been made by deliberative democracy which has often been considered to have the capacity to boost civic virtue. Some research also reveals that the tendency to deliberate about…

While traditional assessment models effectively evaluate student learning objectives within the classroom, they often fail to capture the extent to which students practice civic engagement, critical inquiry, and global citizenship following graduation. As educators, we often do not know whether students employ these concepts and embrace these…

A survey of the nation's civic health reveals troubling trends, with historic lows in trust among individuals and key institutions such as government, media, and the courts. Political polarization has significantly increased among Americans in the last 40 years, surpassing eight other democratic nations and challenging the idea that it is merely a…

Student loan debt is at record levels in the United States. The negative psychological and financial effects for borrowers are well-documented. This article turns to the individual-level political effects of student loan debt. Rooted in the policy feedback literature, we examine whether the rise in student loan debt is associated with negative…

In a time of record polarization and the questioning of the value of higher education, the internship plays an important and positive role in developing the civic minded graduate. Utilizing best practices in experiential education, an internship nurtures important civic skills in students and an orientation towards the common good. Through focus…

An i-voting system may promote electoral participation by reducing travel cost and time to polling places, especially among youth who are more accustomed to technological changes. We study the linkage between travel costs on election day and voter turnout by comparing past electoral participation with stated voting behavior in a hypothetical…

This project seeks to fill gaps in the knowledge about the long-term benefits of undergraduate participation in community-engaged service learning (CESL). A mixed-methods research protocol delivered to graduates of an R1 public university three years after the completion of a CESL senior capstone course observed significant divergences in…

Given interest in understanding how fraternities inform students' capacities for leadership, the purpose of this critical quantitative study was to investigate the precollege characteristics and higher education experiences influencing orientation toward political and social involvement among college fraternity men. Results demonstrated…

Our exploratory study analyzes the civic-mindedness of university graduates in an engaged university with emphasis on Central and Eastern Europe, particularly Slovakia. The research sample consisted of 452 graduates of the second level of university studies. To map and analyze civic-mindedness, we used the Civic-Minded Graduate Questionnaire (CMG;…

This article is an exploration of the potential of a more purposeful application of criticality in undergraduate classrooms. Conventional pedagogy, often lecture-based, does not prepare students well for life, a career, or service toward the common good. A more critical approach in the classroom stimulates critical thinking, critical…

Centers for undergraduate research and civic engagement are rare at the community college level. With two such Centers, both launched in 2022 and 2023 at a Midwestern Community College, we are examining how intentional mentoring efforts in undergraduate research and civic engagement at community colleges impact students' political efficacy and…

For nearly a decade, concerns about misinformation influencing U.S. elections have grown. As modern elections are increasingly characterized by overwhelming amounts of information, trust in the media is at an all-time low, with people across the political spectrum reporting low confidence in the mass media's ability to report the news "fully,…

National efforts to enhance postsecondary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education have continued to emphasize the integration of civic engagement within curricula. Achieving this goal requires that we understand how students' social identities impact their community involvement, particularly for minoritized groups such…

The purpose of this investigation was to identify, examine, and analyse the opinions of four international postgraduate students who embarked on a service-learning project required by the course taken in Semester 2, 2021/2022. It included engaging in community service, connection to their academic endeavours, reporting the outcomes, critical…

Democratic adult education (AE) promotes social change through active and pragmatic learning. This learning considers the impact of individual, community, organization, and broader cultural influences. Democratic civic engagement (DCE) in higher education institutions (HEIs) emphasizes inclusive participation and reciprocity. These values are…