Governments around the world have privatized public services in the name of efficiency and citizen empowerment, but some argue that privatization could also affect citizen participation in democratic governance. We explore this possibility by estimating the impact of charter schools (which are publicly funded but privately operated) on school…

While civic participation is a crucial component of healthy and sustainable democracies, young adolescents may perceive or experience barriers that limit their civic action. This study draws from focus groups and surveys during a week-long summer civics camp to explore ways in which 47 young adolescents entering Grades 6-9 described barriers they…

The question of how much religious schools contribute to the preparation of their students for citizenship has long been debated and empirical evidence has been mixed. A national Australian survey, "Contributing to Australian Society," conducted in 2016 by the Christian Research Association, provided the opportunity for a quantitative…

Students graduating from secondary school in 2021 have received their education through some of the most contested years in recent history. This article argues that English text lists present a unique opportunity to engage students in a diverse range of ideas that can equip them to be active citizens in a rapidly transforming society. We argue…

This tool is part of the Countering Truth Decay initiative, which is focused on restoring the role of facts, data, and analysis in U.S. political and civil discourse and the policymaking process. RAND researchers developed this educational tool, consisting of five sequenced lesson plans for middle school teachers, with the goal of improving RAND's…

Youth Development programming that engages youth to work side by side with local leaders creates an environment where youth develop civic skills. These skills include a greater understanding of the legislative process, their role in our democracy, and increased engagement in the democratic process. Through their participation in the Superior Days…

Unlike organized activities such as sports and arts, civic activities in adolescence (e.g., volunteering, student government) have been less studied in relation to school success and almost all existing evidence consists of cross-sectional findings. In a longitudinal study, 1035 pupils (64% females, 20% nonwhite, M[subscript age] = 14.21 years)…

Recent studies have suggested that intellectual humility (IH) might facilitate (a) better learning outcomes, (b) more scientific mindedness, and (c) better peer and professional relationships. However, recent philosophical work has raised concerns that too much IH might lead to intellectual servility (IS), and thus might be vicious (albeit not…

This article reports findings from an ongoing study that examines the experiences and engagement of pregnant and parenting youth (PPY) attending an alternative school in Chicago and the sorts of instructional approaches and activities that can promote their social justice-oriented advocacy and leadership skills. This project used Youth…

Conversations about controversial political issues within the public-school classroom are necessary for the whole development of students as they prepare to participate fully in democracy, part of their role as conscious social reproducers of the American political regime. Effective educators train students to critically understand and analyze…

This critical participatory ethnographic study examines the negotiation of civic identity by eight Indigenous students in an urban public high school. Using Tribal Critical Race Theory to understand the experiences of students, stories from observations, participant interviews, and focus groups were employed as data. This study, examines data from…

Background: The research-practice gap has not been explored within civics education, and in particular the role of evidence-based civics curriculum in times of political trauma. Such research is critical in equipping educators with evidence-based resources to help mitigate political trauma experienced by students. Here, we explore the types of…

How can we create a "global-at-home" learning experience for university students to engage them in serving global professional communities online? This study applied global engagement surveys alongside interviews and focus groups in online contexts to examine engaged learning outcomes of U.S. and Chinese university students who served as…

Project-based learning (PBL) is an instructional approach that provides civics, social studies, and American government students with the opportunity to actively and cooperatively engage with real-world issues and situations. Students typically identify a problem in their community or school, research the problem and policy-based solutions,…

This paper discusses Romani mentors' mixed experiences, views and coping practices in an intra-ethnic 'natural mentoring' project targeting young Romani (more commonly known as 'Gypsy') students in Spain. The intervention transforms already existing intra-ethnic bonds into mentorships in local Spanish Romani communities. To meet the aims of this…