The Future of Civic Education: Implications for Research, Policy, and Practice

• Published date: 01 January 2023
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/00027162231193538
• Author: Gregory White,Dian Dong,David E. Campbell,Carol D. Lee
• Date: 01 January 2023
• Subject Matter: Insights for Research, Policy, and Practice

ANNALS, AAPSS, 705, January 2023 249

DOI: 10.1177/00027162231193538

The Future of

Civic

Education:

Implications for

Research,

Policy, and

Practice

By

GREGORY WHITE,

DIAN DONG,

DAVID E. CAMPBELL,

and

CAROL D. LEE

1193538ANN THE ANNALS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMYTHE FUTURE OF CIVIC EDUCATION

research-article2023

We present a summary of the volume’s main insights

and recommendations for a robust form of civic educa-

tion that will prepare young people to become civic

actors who can take responsibility for upholding and

advancing democracy. This volume establishes the

need to expand civic education across curricula, beyond

a one-shot course. We argue that the challenges of

democracy and civic problems we face are multifac-

eted, requiring reasoned judgment and democratic

decision-making, and involving discourse around rights

and responsibilities. To meet these challenges, the stat-

ure of civic education must be elevated, its content

expanded, and its delivery improved upon to ensure

that civic learning is meaningful and relevant to stu-

dents’ diverse lives. Students also need to develop a

civic and problem-solving toolkit: this work should start

at an early age, involve opportunities to explore their

own questions about democracy and civic involvement,

and model democratic engagement in their own schools

and communities.

Keywords: civic education; social and emotional learn-

ing; problem-solving; social studies; civic

reasoning

Correspondence: gwhite@naeducation.org

Gregory White is a sociologist and the executive direc-

tor of the National Academy of Education. He oversees

education research studies and fellowship programs,

including the Academy’s work in civic reasoning and

discourse. He also serves as an adjunct professor at

Georgetown University.

Dian Dong is a senior program officer at the National

Academy of Education, where she guides and develops

research programs and initiatives aimed at advancing

high-quality research for use in policy and practice. She

has a background in social psychology, program evalu-

ation, and international development.

David E. Campbell is Packey J. Dee Professor of

American Democracy at the University of Notre Dame.

His most recent book is Secular Surge: A New Fault

Line in American Politics (with Geoff Layman and John

Green), which received the Distinguished Book Award

from the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion.

Carol D. Lee is Edwina S. Tarry Professor Emerita in the

School of Education at Northwestern University and

president of the National Academy of Education. Her

research focuses on cultural and ecological supports for

learning, particularly in the area of disciplinary literacies.