Enhancing civic readiness: A case study exploring the impact of new learning on citizenship education in a midwestern high school

Dovilla, Michael David

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/120238 Copy

Description

Title

Enhancing civic readiness: A case study exploring the impact of new learning on citizenship education in a midwestern high school

Author(s)

Dovilla, Michael David

Issue Date

2023-04-07

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Kalantzis, Mary

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Cope, William

Committee Member(s)

• Pak, Yoon
• Bruno, Paul

Department of Study

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Discipline

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ed.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

• Citizenship Education
• Civics
• Social Studies
• New Learning
• Digital Learning

Abstract

Educators, policymakers, and the general public have expressed concern over the last several decades about U.S. citizens’ insufficient civic knowledge and declining community engagement for the sustainment of a healthy democratic republic. As the focus of education has shifted from fostering good citizens to preparing future workers, the emphasis on civic education has waned. This mixed-methods exploratory, intrinsic case study evaluates the impact of an innovative citizenship education intervention, the Emerging Servant Leaders Program, on ten students in an urban, Midwestern public high school through analysis of surveys, student interviews, and the facilitator’s observation journal to determine whether a combination of traditional and digital pedagogical modes and content increased participants’ civic readiness and civic self-efficacy. Applying an adapted Civic Readiness Survey derived from validated civic readiness survey scales curated by Tedeschi et al. (2021) that included civic attitude (Syvertsen et al., 2015), civic behavior (Flanagan et al., 2007), and civic/political knowledge (Flanagan et al., 2007; Gainous and Martens, 2012), the researcher examines the application of New Learning principles (Kalantzis and Cope, 2012) as a pedagogical bridge between the Dutiful Citizenship and Actualizing Citizenship civic learning styles proposed by Bennett et al. (2009) for their impact on civic readiness. This study offers insights into ways that educational leaders can apply digital affordances and facilitated classroom dialogue to improve civic readiness, encourage more robust participation in the body politic by citizens from disadvantaged backgrounds, and effect a better educated citizenry prepared to engage in the responsibilities of self-rule in a representative democracy.

Graduation Semester

2023-05

Type of Resource

Thesis

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2023 Michael David Dovilla

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