| dc.description.abstract | Political scientists have long argued that schools nurture active citizens by teaching civics. I provide an alternative perspective by viewing schools as a formative social experience: education happens in social settings among teachers and peers, and individuals learn politically relevant self-conceptions from the nature of social interactions in school. I distinguish two models of education. Under teacher-centered models, teachers dominate decision-making and knowledge, placing students in roles that follow decisions made by authority figures. Under student-centered models, students participate in making decisions and knowledge so that they are placed in roles that shape classroom discourse. I argue that by becoming constructors of class content, those learning in student-centered education models take ownership of collective matters and become active citizens in their community beyond school. I find that around the world, those who learn in student-centered models are more likely to engage with social issues and identify with a larger community. Using panel survey data, I find that individuals who learn in student-centered models during childhood are more likely to vote, sign petitions, and attend protests as adults. Data from an original survey in school districts that randomly assigned individuals to education models provide additional support that student-centered education makes more active citizens. I find mixed evidence that these effects are mediated by political efficacy and communal views of self-interest, suggesting that further work is needed to investigate what accounts for the civic effects of education models. | |
