Pursuing Systematic Civics Reform in the 21st Century: Tensions and Possibilities From an Emerging Research-Practice Partnership

• In Event: 15.061 - MTCC Roundtable Session Two
  In Roundtable Session: 15.061-11 - Civic and Political Learning in a Politically Polarized Era: Exploring Civically Oriented Research-Practice Partnerships

Abstract

Two decades into the 21st century, we find ourselves at a moment of widespread dissatisfaction on both left and right with the way our democracy is being practiced (Foa & Mounk, 2017). While these problems have multiple roots and require a range of responses, schools can make an important contribution. Studies have found that a variety of in and out-of-school civic learning opportunities can foster commitments to democratic values and practices required for more and better informed civic and political engagement (Biesta, De Bie & Wildemeersch, 2014; Kahne & Sporte, 2008; Kirshner, 2015; Youniss & Levine, 2009). Yet in suburban districts characterized by high degrees of diversity in political orientation, there is especially little known about how to effectively and equitably engage in district wide efforts to support civic and political learning in schools. In response, this particular study, which is part of a broader multi-district initiative to develop an indicator system of civic learning opportunities and outcomes, aimed to better understand the constituent features, as well as tensions and possibilities, of one research-practice partnership in a large suburban context aimed at equitably promoting high quality civic learning opportunities.
In line with a research-practice partnership approach to collaboration (Penuel & Gallagher, 2017), our initial work began with jointly identifying and negotiating a problem of practice related to civic learning between the university and district partner. We then employed a mixed methods approach to data collection which included the administration of a district wide civic learning survey (N=3606) as well as interviews with teachers (N= 10) and student focus groups (N= 5) that solicited students’ and teachers’ experiences with civic learning in their classes, as well as within their schools and communities.
Analysis of survey and interview data suggest that while students report high levels of discussion-based civic learning opportunities in their schools, they also articulate a need for such discussions to be deeper, more frequent, and more widespread throughout their schooling trajectories. In particular in today’s sociopolitical moment, students expressed a need for their teachers and schools to support them in learning how to dig deep into controversial issues, seek out and use credible information, hold discussions with people of varying perspectives, and take informed action. Analysis of teacher data similarly suggest that teachers recognize an increasingly grave need for students to leave school with such civic skills and dispositions, but do not presently feel pedagogically nor systematically supported to provide these opportunities as part of the core curriculum.
Our work contributes broadly to research on the constitutive features of effective research-practice partnerships between school districts and university partners, but in particular is responsive to a sociopolitical era in which pursuing civics-related reform efforts can’t help but be framed as a highly political endeavor. In this way, this study provides research driven insight into how future district reform efforts might effectively and equitably support civic learning in schools with ideologically diverse populations.

Authors

• Daniela Kruel DiGiacomo, University of Kentucky

• Joseph Kahne

• Erica Hodgin, University of California - Riverside