Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy ETDs

Publication Date

12-4-1972

Abstract

The study examined significant differences between political knowledge, political interest, citizen role, and civic tolerance scores of civics and non-civics ninth-grade students in relation to two ethnic groups (Anglo-American and Spanish-American) and four categorical groups (sex, socio-economic status, achievement level, and language spoken in the home). The purpose of the study was to see if a relationship existed between the ninth-grade civics course and student political knowledge and attitude scores, and to see if a differential relationship existed between the civics course and the political knowledge and attitude scores of the subpopulation of Spanish-American students.

Procedure. Pre-test and post-test questionnaires were administered to 438 ninth-grade students. Data were generated from the questionnaires, and scales were constructed for the four political variables. Three analyses were made of the data: (1) scores of all civics and non-civics students were compared in Analysis I, (2) scores of civics students within each ethnic group and their non-civics counterparts were compared in Analysis II, and (3) scores of Anglo­American and Spanish-American civics students and Anglo­American and Spanish-American non-civics students were compared in Analysis III. Each analysis also compared scores of the groups in relation to sex, socio-economic status, achievement level, and language spoken in the home. Chi square was used to assess differences between groups.

Results. In Analysis I, civics students had significantly greater pre-test and post-test political knowledge scores than non-civics students. All other differences between these two groups were pre-test differences not significant on the post-test. In Analysis II, the only post-test significant difference between Anglo-Americans was the greater political knowledge scores of lower socio­economic status civics students compared to non-civics students. All significant differences found between Spanish-American civics and non-civics students were pre­test differences in political knowledge scores. None were significant on the post-test. In Analysis III, Anglo­American civics students were found to have significantly higher political interest and civic tolerance scores than Spanish-American civics students on both the pre-test and the post-test. A relationship was found between the civics course and the higher tolerance scores of lower-achieving Anglo-American civics students. A pre-test significant difference between the two ethnic groups of civics students in citizen role scores appeared to be related to language. Anglo-American non-civics students had significantly higher civic tolerance post-test scores than Spanish-American students, and higher socio-economic status Anglo-American students had significantly higher pre-test and post-test civic tolerance scores. Pre-test differences in citizen role were not significant on the post-test.

Conclusions.

1. Little relationship was found between the ninth-grade civics course and student political knowledge, political interest, citizen role, and civic tolerance scores except in the case of political knowledge scores of lower socio­economic status Anglo-American students.

2. The civics course did not appear to be differentially related to the Spanish-American subpopulation, although significant differences between the scores of the two ethnic groups were found in the areas of civic tolerance, political interest, and citizen role. These differences were not related to the civics course except in the case of lower­-achieving Anglo-American students whose higher post-test civic tolerance scores appeared to be related to civics. Language spoken in the home appeared to be related to a pre-test significant difference in citizen role scores of Anglo-American and Spanish-American civics students.

Document Type

Dissertation

Language

English

Degree Name

Certificate in Curriculum and Instruction

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

Teacher Education, Educational Leadership & Policy

First Committee Member (Chair)

Wilson Howard Ivins

Second Committee Member

George Hirshfield

Third Committee Member

Robert John Doxtator

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