Examining youth attitudes toward civic engagement: A study of collaborative social entrepreneurship using a multi-user virtual environment
Open Access
- Author:
- Huang, Hubert Khan
- Graduate Program:
- Curriculum and Instruction
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- October 16, 2014
- Committee Members:
- Scott Alan Metzger, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor
Scott Alan Metzger, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Patrick Willard Shannon, Committee Member
David Lynn Passmore, Committee Member
Rose Marie Baker, Committee Member - Keywords:
- civic education
civic engagement
educational technology
issues-centered curriculum
deliberation
interdisciplinary literacy - Abstract:
- Over the last decade, the narrative in education had often been that schools should develop “21st century skills” in our youth, including the competence to effectively use information and communication technology. Much debate has surrounded what “21st century skills” and the political rhetoric that drive the push for those skills. Existing guidelines by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21) and the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) agree that collaborative learning, critical thinking, problem-solving, and civic engagement are important for today’s students. This study examines how an intervention using an issues-centered classroom model, deliberation, and collaboration on a social entrepreneurship project in a multi-user virtual environment can potentially develop greater civic engagement in high school seniors participating in a county-wide dual enrollment program for youth interested in future careers in healthcare. This study revealed that before the intervention, participating students as a whole espoused high levels of social responsibility. However, the students lacked civic efficacy, ability to critically analyze the root causes of social issues, civic engagement through action for social change, and a clear understanding of social justice. The deliberation of social issues, particularly those related to the social determinants of health outlined in the US Department of Health and Human Services Healthy People 2020, demonstrated how the issues-centered model of teaching social studies can be lead to positive self-reported shifts in the students’ ability to think critically and communicate regarding social issues. Several other important conclusions emerged from the intervention. First, civic learning opportunities positively affected students’ espoused commitments to civic engagement and their attitudes toward the learning experience. Second, MUVEs can be a useful tool for development of skills as articulated by the Framework for 21st Century Learning, although serious thought and reflection must be made to ensure when and how technology is incorporated into schools and curriculum. Third, social justice can be perceived through a lens of community responsibility, although the ambiguity that students have regarding social justice suggests that social deliberation is a more effective lens of encouraging students to critically examine issues and problems in society. Lastly, social entrepreneurship is but one way to conceptualize active and participatory civic engagement.