Engaging the Middle: Action Civics as Citizenship Education for Young Adolescents

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 36
  In Roundtable Session: Middle-Level Student Perspectives Shaping Classroom Practices

Abstract

This study explores how young adolescents define citizenship and advocacy as a result of their participation in an action civics inquiry project during 5-day summer civics camps. Participants were interviewed three times over the course of the camp about citizenship, advocacy, and action civics topics. Findings suggest that participants were capable of learning and articulating civic knowledge related to participatory and justice-oriented citizenship. However, participants failed to recognize that they were behaving as engaged citizens while carrying out their action civics projects.

Authors

• Michelle Bauml, Texas Christian University

• Brooke Blevins, Baylor University

• Karon Nicol LeCompte, Baylor University

• Kathy Wigtil, Baylor University

• Cameron Dexter Torti, Baylor University