Civics Education in the Schools

This article provides a historical overview of civics education and discusses the increase in this method of education in the public schools over the last several years. Civics education refers to educating children from childhood to become enlightened thinkers, capable of making informed decisions concerning societal issues. Civics education began to get special attention in the early 1900s. Today, civics education in public schools uses a number of methods to teach including service learning activities, science, social interaction activities, and international initiatives.

Keywords Citizenship; Civics Education; Community Service; Curriculum; Democracy; Service Learning

Overview

Civics education, also known as civic education, refers to educating children from childhood to become enlightened thinkers, capable of making informed decisions concerning societal issues. It involves training young people to be knowledgeable citizens who understand society's human and political issues. A goal of civics education is to ensure that each citizen has a good understanding of ethical and moral behavior. In addition, each type of civics education strives to teach individuals to respect others and acknowledge equal opportunity for all, regardless of race, gender, religion, etc. (UNESCO, n.d.).

Scope & History of Civic Education

Because of changing educational theories, political issues and socio-economic conditions, the scope of civics education has shifted over the last half-century. Civics education was originally designed to teach the basics about governance and encourage citizens to hold American democratic values in high regard. Consisting of mostly specific subject matter that was to be memorized, civics education was developed as a part of the study of history or civil government (Cornbleth, 1971).

In 1916, a growing concern about civics education was expressed in a report by the National Education Association Committee on Social Studies. With good citizenship identified as the major goal of social studies, recommendations were made for improvements. For example, the establishment of separate civics courses in schools was suggested. A content focus with emphasis on social science and history, which would be used to highlight student experiences and interests with contemporary societal issues, was also recommended. In addition, suggestions that student participation be incorporated into the curriculums were among the report's recommendations (Cornbleth, 1971).

1918 brought more attention to civics education through the Committee on the Reorganization of Secondary Education. The Committee, through a report, suggested that all school subjects incorporate citizenship in some manner. Civics education then began to expand -- between 1920 and 1940 -- to include knowledge of governance and its responsibility to provide social services, its role in school issues (i.e. student government), the government's role in social reform, and its' participation in community activities like safety and clean-up initiatives. Civics education also began to include subjects like moral-ethical character development, driver's education, health and safety programs and vocational subjects (Cornbleth, 1971).

The root of civics education is in traditionalist educational thought. In its beginning, children were seen as undisciplined, lazy and required structured teaching of simple facts and doctrines. The task of civics education then, was to teach children the shared values that were vital to citizenship within the community, and at the same time, instill habits associated with being a good citizen (Heater, 2002). The traditional perspective suggests that there are specific sets of values and political knowledge required for good citizenship, in which public schools play a big part. Civics education was to instill loyalty in preparation of students to be good citizens (Dubnick, 2003).

Civic Education in Current Times

Today, civics education is taught in a manner that stresses the constant link between knowledge and practice. Methods like peer to peer discussions and dialogue between students and teachers are used to allow students to express themselves. In addition, songs, poems, drawings, and various types of written material give students a stage to reflect on their roles as citizens (UNESCO).

As a result of education goals across the country, as well as curricular requirements and state policies, more emphasis is being placed on civics education and attention is increasingly growing toward the importance of this piece of a child's overall education in the K-12 environment (National Standards for Civics).

The need for a greater focus on civics education has been seen with decreasing voter turnout, specifically among young people, and a decline in civic participation across the country. Within the last ten years however, civics education has gained outstanding national attention, especially in North Carolina, which has come in the form of grant funding. In Chapel Hill, NC, students now have the opportunity to learn how citizens can help come up with solutions to community problems through grants from the Civic Education Consortium at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Institute of Government and the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation (Civic education throughout state gets boost, 1999).

Civic Education Consortium

Housed on the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill, the Civic Education Consortium consists of more than 200 individuals and organizations interested in providing first-hand civic teachings for youth in elementary, middle and secondary schools. The consortium places local community leaders into classrooms and facilitates student interactions in projects that look at issues affecting their communities (Civic education throughout state gets boost, 1999).

Just a few examples of the funding given by the Civic Education Consortium includes the following: the Gates County Extension Service 4-H Program received $7,500 for its peer leader program, to teach 4-H peers about leadership and civics education via interactive and issue-based projects. They will develop and carry out community service projects and lead civic training workshops for 200 of their peers in other 4-H clubs across the county. $3,500 was given to the W.C. Friday Middle School Student Council to help student council members learn about government at all levels and record their activities on videotape. Tapes were then distributed to elementary and middle schools in the county. The student council members had the opportunity to meet government officials, interview various civic officials and participate in student debates and forums (Civic education throughout state gets boost in funding, 1999).

In addition, $7,000 was given to the Student Government Association of Wake Forest-Rolesville High School in Wake County to provide middle and secondary schools across the state with a model to use to create a Student Legislative Assembly. This is a two-day, student-run event that involves students writing, debating, amending and voting on bills that address North Carolina problems. The Wake Forest-Rolesville Student Government Association will publish and distribute a "how-to" guide to share with other groups of students and peers (Civic education throughout state gets boost, 1999).

Applications

Service Learning

One of the most common forms of civics education is service learning. Hepburn (1997) explains that service learning strives to unite the learning that takes place in school, with out-of-school work. The goal is to increase democratic education and help the community with various needs.

An ancient Chinese proverb describes the mission of service learning, "Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I will remember. Involve me, and I will understand" (cited in Seigel & Rockwood, 1993, p. 67). Service learning teaches this concept by exposing children to community service projects that bring the school and community together. These activities are incorporated into the academic curriculum to support civic education. Students are able to use their experiences in the community for serious reflection in the classroom about the nature of democracy (Garman, 1995).

When children have the opportunity to do meaningful work and serve in a controlled environment, they begin to understand that service involves giving and receiving. They learn that members of a society care for one another and the society in general, and have a greater appreciation for democracy. These experiences empower youngsters and influence their interests to contribute to the improvement of the community and nation (Garman, 1995).

High School Students Conduct Radon Testing

To answer the call for high schools to be more challenging and provide students with more relevant opportunities, a form of service learning was explored among high school students (Daggett, 2005). Students were given an opportunity to learn to conduct radon testing in area homes through a grant designed to address air quality. In collaboration with a science teacher at Price Laboratory School in Cedar Falls, Iowa, students were given the task of identifying two homeowners who were willing to have their homes tested for radon. A class of students developed a questionnaire and a letter requesting participation to distribute to the homeowners. Questionnaires were sent to those who agreed to participate, and test kits were delivered to the homes and set up by the students. Once the test kits were completed, students mailed them to a radon test lab to be analyzed (Stone, 2007).

The experience enhanced the rigor in the science classroom, addressed multiple teaching goals like independent thinking, well-roundedness, and critical decision-making skills, and students were able to provide a service to the community. High School teachers might consider conducting a future project that incorporates more student choice and added community involvement to create an even more effective outcome in civic education.

Civics Education in the Kindergarten Classrooms

Kindergartners also seem to benefit from civics education in the classroom. Baldwin (2007) writes that learning basic social skills helps children learn to build a community and show one another respect. Kindergarten classes in Hudson, Mississippi begin with a community-like meeting where one student asks his classmates how many would like to have some milk, and simultaneously begins to circulate a Koosh ball to each child as he serves the milk. The child greets each classmate making eye contact, and says "good morning" using their name. These simple skills support civic engagement that will continue throughout their school years.

In the same class, children placed the finishing touches on a quilt project that they've been working on throughout the year. This project consisted of each child adding knots to a quilt, which was given as a gift to a mother and child in a homeless shelter. As an annual project, each child designs one square of the quilt to be given by the class. The teachers instruct the children to create something that expresses them and shares something about themselves with a less fortunate child. Once the quilt is assembled, each child has an opportunity to take the quilt home and with the help of their parents, share a note in a journal about their experience with the project. After the journal is complete, the quilt is presented to the mother and child or given to the director of the shelter. Comments from the journal express how much the children care and the great deal of information learned in the civic education lesson. After reflecting on the complete project, children have said they were glad they helped keep someone warm and now wanted to help more people (Baldwin, 2007). Schools can promote civic education by incorporating these ideas into kindergarten curriculums throughout the country.

Promoting Civics Education through International Learning

International knowledge can be gained by encouraging students to dialogue with one another about current world events throughout the school day. Programs like Model UN and the Capitol Forum on America's Future allow high school students to express their opinions on international issues. Schools can also connect students directly to their peers in other countries through the use of technology. These exercises will support service learning projects regarding local and international issues that students can discuss, such as brainstorming ideas to find ways to alleviate hunger, education support for students living in poverty, and improving the overall environment (Stewart, 2007).

International Studies Curriculum

Requiring an international studies curriculum for graduation is another way to promote international education. Over ten years ago, an international studies requirement was introduced to the school board of Evanston Township, Illinois for the high schools. Teachers were asked to incorporate the necessary courses into the curriculum. Today, every sophomore in the Chicago suburb is required to complete a one-year international studies requirement. Among their choices are comprehensive humanities courses on the history, art, and literature of Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. Course instruction includes simulations and team projects. Teachers also build partnerships with local universities to ensure they have continuous professional development in international affairs (Stewart, 2007).

The John Stanford International School is an example of civics education in an elementary school. The need for skills in English, Spanish, and Japanese became clear for a Seattle community so the public schools created an elementary school immersion program, which is a public bilingual immersion school that allows students to spend half their day studying math, culture, science, and literacy in either Japanese or Spanish. The other half of the day is spent learning to read, write and apply social studies in English. English as a second language courses are also offered for immigrant students and their parents are welcome to come to after-school courses. A decision to open ten more schools like the John Stanford International School was made as a result of the school's initial success (Stewart, 2007).

Viewpoints

Long-term Benefits of Service Learning

The school, community, and young people all benefit from student involvement in service learning programs, a method of civics education. When both the community and the school collaborate to build service learning programs, a sense of community and pride is developed because citizens begin to feel that schools are responsive to their needs (Garmon, 1995).

Service Learning

Service learning also facilitates a closer bond between school, community, and home. Parents are more easily drawn into the educational process as community service provides an easily accessible forum which serves to encourage parental involvement in the education of their children. Parents who often feel alienated from the normal academic routine of school find a more comfortable common ground upon which they can become involved in their child's school work. As a result, parents become part of the educational process and begin to share accountability for their children's education along with the school, thus strengthening the overall educational process (Garmon, 1995).

A sense of civic efficacy, the belief that one should and can influence civic issues, is also a result of civics education. When young people feel a sense of civic efficacy, they see more clearly the balance between citizen rights and responsibilities in a democratic community, and are more likely to support local community and national issues (Garmon, 1995).

Many positive outcomes are seen because of service learning interactions. For example, a renewed sense of meaning in education is realized when students are able to experience first-hand community social problems or become involved in local government affairs. Studies have shown that community service incorporated into the school curriculum leads to enhanced student achievement and a major decrease in vandalism rates. Last, through service learning in the community, students better understand how valuable an education can be, and more positive feelings toward school and education in general are the result (Garmon, 1995).

Skepticism Surrounding the Current Form of Civics Education

Despite the positive outcomes resulting from civics education, some say that civics education is broken because of its small role in public education today. Before the 1960's, most high school students took up to three courses in civics, governance and democracy. Today, that course load has shrunk to one course. Social studies courses, where a great amount of education takes place about the political process, seem to be offered less in schools. When social studies courses are offered, they focus more on moral relativism, the idea that different moral truths apply to different cultures of people. In addition, the guidelines of the National Council for the Social Studies place less emphasis on students' knowledge of civics and history and are more concerned with developing students' perspective-taking with regard to making choices (Macedo & Finn, 2004; Moral Relativism, 2007).

Skeptics of civics education also state that though community service is encouraged in public schools, it is often presented separately from the general curriculum. The specific focus on high-stakes testing on math and reading scores also overshadows civics education, and a civics assessment is only offered once every ten years by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) (Macedo & Finn, 2004).

In general, there are major concerns regarding whether civics education is broken, whether it is possible to have a common curriculum for civics education in our society, and whether civics education really makes a difference in the lives of people (Garrett, 2007). There is certainly more work to be done to continue the growth in this important form of education.

Terms & Concepts

Citizenship: Implies the status of a citizen with general rights and duties.

Civics Education, Civic Education: Educating children from childhood, to become enlightened thinkers who are capable of making informed decisions concerning societal issues.

Civic Efficacy: The belief that one should and can influence civic issues.

Community Service: The work that an individual does to benefit their community.

Curriculum: A set of courses offered within an educational setting.

Democracy: A form of government established among a group of individuals.

International Studies: A field of study that focuses on the study of foreign affairs or global issues among states.

Moral Relativism: The idea that different moral truths apply to different cultures of people.

National Education Association (NEA) Committee on Social Studies: Established in 1857 as the National Teachers Association, The National Education Association (NEA) is the largest labor union representing America's teachers and administrators. The Social Studies committee focuses on "social" or 'conflict of the masses."

Service Learning: A teaching method that brings the academic classroom to community service for the purpose learning and reflecting on a meaningful activity.

Social Studies Courses: A combination of the social sciences and humanities designed to promote effective citizenship.

Traditionalist Educational Thought: The assumption that children are undisciplined barbarians who are lazy and require structured teaching of simple facts and doctrines.

Bibliography

Baldwin, J. (2007). Civic education in schools: The right time is now. Carnegie Corporation of New York , 2 . Retrieved May 29, 2007, from http://www.carnegie.org/reporter/07/civic/index3.html

Cornbleth, C. (1971). The changing faces of civic education. Theory into Practice, 10 , 323-327. Daggett, W. (2005). Reforming American high schools-Why, what, and how. New York: International Center for Leadership in Education. Dubnick, M. J. (2003). Nurturing civic lives: Developmental perspectives on civic Education. Political Science and Politics, 36 , 253-255.

Garman, B. (1995). Civic education through service learning. Bloomington, IN: ERIC Clearinghouse for Social Studies/Social Science Education Bloomington IN. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 390720). Retrieved June 8, 2007, from http://www.ericdigests.org/1996-3/service.htm

Garrett, J. L. (2007). Civics education, Kappa Delta Pi Record, 43 , 152-153. Retrieved June 10, 2007 from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=25236873&site=ehost-live

Heater, D. (2002). The history of citizenship education: A comparative outline. Parliamentary Affairs, 55 , 457-474. Hepburn, M. A. (1997). Service Learning in Civic Education: A Concept with Long, Sturdy Roots. Theory into Practice, 36 , 136-42.

Macedo, S. & Finn, C. (2004). Civic education: Can public schools teach good citizenship?. Retrieved June 9, 2007, from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0MJG/is_2_4/ai_114479059

Martens, A. M., & Gainous, J. (2013). Civic education and democratic capacity: How do teachers teach and what works?. Social Science Quarterly (Wiley-Blackwell), 94, 956-976. Retrieved December 15, 2013, from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=92005204&site=ehost-live

Moral relativism-Neutral Thinking? Retrieved June 1, 2007, from http://www.moralrelativism.info/

National Standards for Civics and Government. Center for Civic Education. Retrieved June 9, 2007, from http://www.civiced.org/index.php?page=stds_toc_intro

Seigel, S. & Rockwood, V. (1993). Democratic education, student empowerment, and community service: Theory and practice. Equity and Excellence in Education. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. EJ 476 935)

Serriere, S. C. (2014). The role of the elementary teacher in fostering civic efficacy. Social Studies, 105, 45-56. Retrieved December 15, 2013, from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=91930757&site=ehost-live

Stewart, V. (2007). Becoming citizens of the world. Educational Leadership, 64 , 8- 14. Retrieved June 10, 2007 from EBSCO Online Database Academic Search Premier. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=24666221&site=ehost-live

Stolte, L., Isenbarger, M., & Cohen, A. (2014). Measuring civic engagement processes and youth civic empowerment in the classroom: The civics observation tool. Clearing House, 87, 44-51. Retrieved December 15, 2013, from EBSCO Online Database Education Research Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=91930633&site=ehost-live

Stone, J. (2007). Accomplishing multiple goals through community connections. The Science Teacher, 74 , 28-32. Retrieved June 5, 2007 from EBSCO Online Database Literary Reference Center. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=24884482&site=ehost-live

UNESCO. (n.d.). Peace and Human Rights Education. Retrieved June 1, 2007, from UNESCO. orghttp://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php-URL_ID=4611&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

UNC News Services. (1999). Civic education throughout state gets boost in funding. Retrieved June 10, 2007 from UNC News http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/oct99/930iog101199.htm

Suggested Reading

Barber, B. R. & Battistoni, R.M. (1993). A season of service: Introducing service learning into the Liberal Arts curriculum. Political Science & Politics, 26 , 235-40.

Battistoni, R. (1997). Service learning as civic learning: Lessons we can learn from our Students. In G. Reeher & J. Cammarano (Eds.), Education for Citizenship: Ideas and Innovations in Political Learning. New York: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Bell-Rose, S., & Desai, V. N. (2005). Educating leaders for a global society. New York: Goldman Sachs Foundation.

Committee for Economic Development. (2006). Education for global leadership: The importance of international studies and foreign language education for U.S. economic and national security. Retrieved June 5, 2007, from http:/www.ced.org/docs/report/report%5fforeignlanguages.pdf‗i‗

Jacoby, B. (2003). Building Partnerships for Service Learning. Indianapolis: Jossey- Bass.

Lutkus, A. D., Weiss, A. R., Campbell, J. R., Mazzeo, J. & Lazer, S. (1999). The NAEP 1998 Civics Report Card for the Nation, NCES 2000-457. U.S. Department of Education Office of Educational Research and Improvement. Washington, DC National Center for Education Statistics.