Different Pedagogy, Different Politics: High School Learning Opportunities and Youth Political Engagement

TLDR

These patterns illustrate how school and community opportunities shape adolescents’ civic and political development. The study used two‑wave panel surveys of California and Chicago high‑school students to examine how different pedagogical approaches affect civic and political engagement. Open discussion of societal issues increased engagement with political issues and elections, while service learning boosted community‑based and expressive actions, and both types of opportunities strengthened commitments to participatory citizenship.

Abstract

Using data from an original two‐wave panel survey of C alifornia high school students and a two‐wave panel survey of high school students in C hicago, we find that different pedagogical approaches influence different forms of civic and political engagement. Specifically, controlling for prior levels of engagement and demographic factors, we find that open discussion of societal issues promotes engagement with political issues and elections. In contrast, service learning opportunities increase community‐based and expressive actions. Both kinds of opportunities promoted commitments to participatory citizenship. These patterns can teach us about the kinds of opportunities (both in school and out) that can shape adolescents' civic and political development.