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Youth Developing Political Efficacy Through Social Learning Experiences: Becoming Active Participants In A Supportive Model United Nations Club, Brett Levy
Educational Theory and Practice Faculty Scholarship
Prior research indicates that individuals are more likely to take political action (e.g., vote, contact representatives, protest) when they have higher levels of political efficacy, the belief that one’s actions can influence political processes. In this mixed methods longitudinal study, I draw on Wenger’s and Bandura’s theories of social learning to examine how adolescents’ political efficacy developed during their experiences in a Model United Nations club. Through analyses of data from questionnaires, interviews, and observations, I found that students’ political efficacy increased as they became active club participants. Supportive relationships with club peers and advisors encouraged regular involvement, which in …
Generating Dynamic Democratic Discussions: An Analysis Of Teaching With Us Presidential Debates, Brett L.M. Levy, Lauren Collet, Thomas C. Owenby
Generating Dynamic Democratic Discussions: An Analysis Of Teaching With Us Presidential Debates, Brett L.M. Levy, Lauren Collet, Thomas C. Owenby
Educational Theory and Practice Faculty Scholarship
Researchers have found that when young people participate in discussions of controversial political issues, they often become more politically engaged and informed (Hess 2009). Nonetheless, some educators avoid fostering such discussions because they can become heated and thus distract from academic learning (Hess 2002). Presidential elections, including the highly publicized debates, provide substantial material for discussions of major national and international issues, but no published research has examined how educators can leverage these events to generate productive civic learning experiences. In this paper, we analyze data collected in seven high school classrooms during the 2012 presidential election to examine the …