Educating for Informed and Equitable Voting

• In Event: Building Equitable Pathways for Youth Voting Through K–12 Education

Abstract

Objectives

Even though the field of civic education continues to grow and evolve, relatively little is known about how youth are prepared to become active voters in a democratic society. This study examined how educators deepened their thinking on voting and elections after taking an online professional development course focused on equitable teaching approaches. The sample of participants included educators from across the country (e.g. California, Texas, and Illinois). As such, we also examined how the sociopolitical context of participants’ school sites impacted the manner in which they taught about voting and elections.

Theoretical Framework

Civic education scholars have long recognized that public schools are uniquely positioned to support young people’s civic development. As a result, a number of studies have examined pedagogical approaches such as the “six proven practices” outlined in Guardian of Democracy: The Civic Mission of Schools (Gould et al., 2011). While high quality civic learning opportunities have been shown to promote desired civic outcomes for youth, they are not available to all student populations (Campbell, 2006; Kahne & Sporte, 2008) and implementation of these practices differs based upon the political makeup of the classroom (Hess & MacAvoy, 2015; Mirra et al., 2016). When it comes to voting and elections, even less is known about how schools and teachers prepare students to participate (Wales & Clarke, 2005). Our study aims to fill this gap by examining how an online professional development course influenced the way educators think and teach about voting and elections equitably.

Methods

We conducted in-depth interviews, collected written and audio reflections, and facilitated focus groups to gain insight into the beliefs and motives of our course participants and the feedback of some of their students. These qualitative methods allowed participants to make sense of their teaching and learning experiences by reflecting on them (Seidman, 2013).

Data Sources

- In-depth interviews with 9 course participants
- In-depth written or audio reflections with 11 course participants
- Focus groups with students who attended the lessons on voting and elections taught by 4 course participants
- Unit plans on voting and elections for 20 course participants

Results

While both teachers and students recognized the importance of voting and the dire need for more instruction around it, one key challenge was navigating partisanship and controversy in the classroom. This was especially true for teachers working in more politically conservative counties and for White, female teachers. Perhaps as a result, the most common strategy used to teach about issues of equity in voting and elections was through the lens of historic voter suffrage and frequently divorced from current examples of voter suppression.

Significance

This study will help educators across the country identify strong pedagogy for teaching about voting and elections equitably. It will also help identify the factors that enable and inhibit educators’ ability to teach about issues of equity in voting and elections. In this way, we hope to inform best practices for educators, schools, and districts in order to strategically improve and enhance the provision of civic education for all students.

Authors

• Leah Bueso, University of California - Riverside

• Erica Hodgin, University of California - Riverside

• Joseph E. Kahne, University of California - Riverside