Redesigning Civic Education for the Digital Age: Participatory Politics and the Pursuit of Democratic Engagement

Pedagogy in citizenship education research: A comparative perspective

“…In the United States, young people used social media in the Dreamers Movement to organize protests for immigration reform and #BlackLivesMatter and other groups organized protests against police brutality in the 2014-2015 year. In particular, Kahne et al (2016) emphasize that social media are the vehicle for raising money, mobilizing people, spreading information, and they are where youth voice their concerns. That is clear from surveys of young people in 2008 and 2012 -two presidential campaign years (Kahne et al 2016).…”

“…In particular, Kahne et al (2016) emphasize that social media are the vehicle for raising money, mobilizing people, spreading information, and they are where youth voice their concerns. That is clear from surveys of young people in 2008 and 2012 -two presidential campaign years (Kahne et al 2016). For example, 13 per cent of 18-25 year olds in 2008 and 32 per cent in 2012 reported posting news to friends and others on social media.…”

“…It is likely those percentages will be considerably higher for the 2016 presidential election. Interestingly, the percentages of students using social media for political information and action are no different for youth from families of differing racial and ethnic groups (Kahne et al 2016). Kahne and his colleagues emphasize that the widespread use of social media by youth does not mean there is no role for schools.…”

“…Indeed, they argue, there is much schools can do. Schools can help students learn to tell if information they read or hear is trustworthy; schools can help students learn to participate more effectively by making persuasive arguments supported by appropriate evidence; and schools can show students how campaigns for candidates and social/political issues use digital media (Kahne et al 2016). …”

“…3. Action research: Several teams of US researchers have been working with partner teachers in an iterative process, where findings from one stage inform later stages so that changes can be made to improve instruction (Kahne et al 2016;Parker et al 2011). We need to see if such approaches to pedagogical and curricular implementation are useful in other national contexts.…”