Civic Education Study

 "A survey fielded to a nationally representative sample of U.S. public school teachers of all subjects in November 2021 was used to assess how civic and citizenship education is being provided in U.S. public schools, what U.S. public school teachers believe to be the most important aims of this education, and whether those aims match the ones identified by teachers several years ago in other countries.

Researchers found that elementary teachers were more likely than secondary (middle and high school) teachers to indicate civic and citizenship education is integrated into all subjects taught at school. Teachers most commonly chose the development of students' critical thinking and their skills in conflict resolution as the most important aims of civics and citizenship education, although teachers' beliefs about top aims depended somewhat on their school grade level and their gender. U.S. teachers did agree with their international peers on many of the top aims of civic and citizenship education, although the comparison was limited by a five-year gap between surveys.

This report is part of the Countering Truth Decay initiative, which is focused on restoring the role of facts, data, and analysis in U.S. political and civil discourse and the policymaking process."

Diliberti, M., & Kaufman, J. (2022). How are U.S. public school teachers approaching civid and citizenship education? Rand. 

https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA112-23.html?utm_source=AdaptiveMailer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=7014N000000XKUjQAO&utm_term=00v4N00000ihBIIQA2&org=1674&lvl=100&ite=268963&lea=1530820&ctr=0&par=1&trk=a0w4N00000A11MwQAJ

Online use and civic participation study

The Internet Makes for More Engaged Citizens, According to New Research

The Internet makes for more engaged citizens, according to the first-of-its-kind study of high-school students' online habits and civic participation. The research will continue to study the impact of the Internet and digital media on democratic and political engagement.

The first-of-its-kind longitudinal study by civic learning scholars of high school students' Internet use and civic engagement found that:

• For many youth, their interest in the Internet translates into engagement with civic and political issues.
• Contrary to popular belief, it is rare for individuals on the Internet to only be exposed to political perspectives with which they agree, but many youth are not exposed to political perspectives at all.
• Teaching new media literacies such as credibility assessment is essential for 21st century citizenship.

Kahne, J. (2011). Digital media literacy education and online civic and political participation. MacArthur Foundation.
http://ypp.dmlcentral.net/publications

Video gaming reports

About 97% of U. S. teens play video games, a recent report asserts. The survey found that while young Americans don't necessarily play the same thing, nearly all of them — girls included — play video games of one kind or another. Nearly two-thirds play video games to socialize face-to-face with friends and family, while just over a quarter said they play with Internet friends.

Pew Internet & American Life Project. (2008). Teens, video games, and civics. Washington, DC: Author.
http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Teens_Games_and_Civics_Report_FINAL.pdf



Another case for gaming in libraries
A Mills College report makes a very strong case for gaming in libraries, even though it doesn’t mention libraries at all. Gaming as part of civic engagement can be listed as another benefit. “These results suggest that the frequent concerns in the media and elsewhere about the ennui and disconnection among those who play video games for long periods of time may be misplaced…. Teens who play games socially (a majority of teens) are more likely to be civically and politically engaged than teens who play games primarily alone. Interestingly, this relationship only holds when teens play alongside others in the same room.”
Mills College Civic Engagement Research Group. (2008). The Civic Potential of Video Games. Chicago: MacArthur Foundation.
http://www.macfound.org/atf/cf/%7Bb0386ce3-8b29-4162-8098-e466fb856794%7D/CIVIC_POTENTIAL_VIDEO_GAMES.PDF