ERIC Number: EJ1456540
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0887-8730
EISSN: EISSN-1838-8101
Voices in Education: Bolstering Social Studies Education and Revitalizing Democracy through Action Civics
Jenifer A. Crawford; Robert A. Filback; Pedro A. Noguera
Teacher Educator, v60 n1 p138-150 2025
The University of Southern California (USC) Democracy Project responds to the inadequacies of traditional civics education, particularly its failure to engage marginalized students in meaningful democratic participation. Grounded in the theories of John Dewey and Paulo Freire, the project uses an action civics model to connect students with real-world issues, promoting critical thinking, collaboration, and civic responsibility. This article describes the curriculum development process, highlighting partnerships with teachers and community stakeholders and a pilot study involving 23 diverse educators. Using a mixed methods approach--including pre-surveys, classroom feedback, and artifact analysis--the pilot revealed strong alignment with civics education standards. Notably, 95% of teachers rated the curriculum highly relevant, and students showed increased engagement and leadership in addressing issues like environmental justice and reproductive rights. Action civics helped bridge equity gaps by empowering students from underserved communities to take localized civic actions, such as public campaigns and advocacy projects. This research underscores the potential of action civics to revitalize civics education. The project calls for expanding across grade levels, integrating media literacy to help students critically navigate digital spaces, and scaling the curriculum to prepare students for the complex challenges of democratic life.
Descriptors: Social Studies, Citizenship Education, State Universities, Democracy, Disadvantaged, Educational Theories, Citizenship Responsibility, Critical Thinking, Curriculum Development, Standards, Teacher Attitudes, Civil Rights, Justice, Climate, Equal Education, Advocacy, Media Literacy, Cooperative Learning, Social Differences, Faculty Development, Professional Autonomy
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: California
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A