Civics education continues to gain national importance, especially in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election and with recent debates about the teaching of history that addresses the legacy of racism and discrimination in the United States. Despite the increasing interest in strengthening civics education, states continue to differ in…

For many high school students, the benefits of civic education seem irrelevant and take place in their future lives. Student performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in Civics is stagnant. In 2018, the average civics score for eighth-grade students was not significantly different from 2014 and had only increased by 3…

In 2018, the informatics faculty team at Mercer University were awarded an AAC&U mini-grant on Civic Learning in the Major. To meet the grant's requirement, the department conducted different activities. These activities included two intensive workshops. The study design was before and after quasi-experimental research of two steps: 1.…

Study abroad is believed to be a transformative learning experience for students. However, the extent to which study abroad adds value beyond what is possible on campus needs to be demonstrated. In this paper, we document the learning outcomes assessment undertaken by a faculty-led study-abroad program at a large university in the U.S. Southeast.…

The purpose of this study was to use the US naturalization test as a springboard to gauge the citizenship knowledge and notions of young adolescent students in Ohio and Georgia. The participants' citizenship knowledge was partially measured by administering questions from the US naturalization test in two case studies. Students from a range of…

Drawing on theories and practices in literacy education and in particular, the concepts of semiotics and transmediation, we explored the possibility of arts-based experiences such as Augusto Boal's Image Theatre in facilitating transformation of thinking in the context of global citizenship education. The objectives of this research were twofold.…

Teacher educators have an obligation to prepare preservice teachers with the skills and dispositions necessary to promote a socially just world. Yet the results of this study uncovered that the majority of elementary preservice teachers in a national sample (N = 846) have a simplistic perception of good citizenship consistent with what Westheimer…

This article focuses on high school students' knowledge and notions of citizenship after taking the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Naturalization Test. The students' test results and responses show emerging support for the need to make changes to the test as well as the students' limited conceptions of citizenship. In…

A "student scholars" program was developed to engage undergraduates at a large, public, land-grant research university with its public service and outreach mission, through cohort meetings, supervised internships, and site visits. Qualitative and pre-/post-participation quantitative data from the first cohort of 10 students show that…

This paper examines a burgeoning network of organizations that is inventing new forms of community renewal and citizenship education. Their names vary--some call themselves public policy institutes, others centers for civic life--yet they share a common methodology, one aimed at tackling tough public issues, strengthening communities, and…

Research on the history of civic education in United States has rarely reflected the perspectives of African American teachers and students. Through analysis of archival data, I document how African American educators in one Southern state reported teaching civic values to students in a racially segregated society before the modern Civil Rights…

Growing emphasis on improving citizenship education at the local school system level is promoting projects which are smaller in size and cost, broader in objectives, and which motivate learning by focusing on local issues. This gradual shift from national curriculum reform programs is a result of the realization that students lack basic knowledge…

Traditionally, civic education has been introduced at the eighth grade level. Research indicates that youngsters begin learning political information and attitudes much earlier. With that in mind, this publication is designed around concepts that can be developed throughout the primary and intermediate grades. Elementary students can begin to…

The lessons in this volume, written by experienced Georgia teachers with backgrounds in law-related education, were designed for teachers new to this area of the social studies curriculum. The lessons, which are organized by grade level, include the following information: author, time required, concepts/vocabulary, main ideas, instructional…

Contained herein are results and report of study on the current educational topics of: (1) Illiteracy in the United states and in Europe; (2) Industrial Supervisors in Georgia; (3) the New Phases of Education in Buffalo, N.Y; (4) Juvenile labor Bureaus and Vocational Guidance in Great Britain; and (5) a review of the Educational Museum of the St.…