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Citizenship Education for Political Engagement: A Systematic Review of Controlled Trials

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  • Steven Donbavand

    (Department of Social Science, University of Roehampton, London SW15 5SL, UK)

  • Bryony Hoskins

    (Department of Social Science, University of Roehampton, London SW15 5SL, UK)

Abstract

Citizenship Education could play a pivotal role in creating a fairer society in which all groups participate equally in the political progress. But strong causal evidence of which educational techniques work best to create political engagement is lacking. This paper presents the results of a systematic review of controlled trials within the field based on transparent search protocols. It finds 25 studies which use controlled trials to test causal claims between Citizenship Education programs and political engagement outcomes. The studies identified largely confirm accepted ideas, such as the importance of participatory methods, whole school approaches, teacher training, and doubts over whether knowledge alone or online engagement necessarily translate into behavioral change. But the paucity of identified studies also points both to the difficulties of attracting funding for controlled trials which investigate Citizenship Education as a tool for political engagement and real epistemological tensions within the discipline itself.

Suggested Citation

  • Steven Donbavand & Bryony Hoskins, 2021. "Citizenship Education for Political Engagement: A Systematic Review of Controlled Trials," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-19, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:10:y:2021:i:5:p:151-:d:543323
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Silvia Redon Pantoja & Natalia Vallejos Silva & José Félix Angulo Rasco, 2021. "Education for Citizenship: The Meanings Chilean Teachers Convey in the Neoliberal Context," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-18, December.
    2. Liyuan Liu & Steven Donbavand & Bryony Hoskins & Jan Germen Janmaat & Dimokritos Kavadias, 2021. "Measuring and Evaluating the Effectiveness of Active Citizenship Education Programmes to Support Disadvantaged Youth," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-10, October.
    3. Romain Ferrali & Guy Grossman & Horacio Larreguy, 2023. "Can low-cost, scalable, online interventions increase youth informed political participation in electoral authoritarian contexts?," Post-Print hal-04185976, HAL.

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