How Did We Get Here and What's Next? A Landscape Analysis of Civics Education

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 1:45 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Curriculum as Policy, Curriculum as Power: Whose Knowledge Counts?

Abstract

As our democratic institutions are increasingly under threat, understanding the history of civics education begs the question, how did we get here? After briefly reviewing the history of civics education in the U.S., an analysis of the landscape of civics education is useful to understand the current practices, trends, and research. This analysis yields insight on its funding, research findings, organizational actions, curriculum development, and a plethora of policy activity at the state level, showing shifting priorities for civics education for future generations. From this landscape, we propose a typology, useful for considering the current state of civics
education and for imagining a “long path” approach to ways forward that lead to a more educated and engaged citizenry.

Authors

• Amanda R. Baker, The George Washington University

• Katie Kinnaman, The George Washington University

• Paul Goren, Northwestern University