Gauging Pre-Service Teacher Perceptions of Incorporating Project Citizen in School Curricula as a Vehicle for Civic Education

Abstract

This article considers undergraduate pre-service teachers’ perceptions and likelihood of integrating Project Citizen 1into future middle and high school curricula after completing Project Citizen as part of a required undergraduate “Programs in Social Education” course. The study further considers pre-service teachers’ own sense of their role as citizens in a democracy and examines whether and how these attitudes impact pre-service teachers’ desires and expectations of integrating civic education experiences into their social studies curricula. The results suggest that assigning Project Citizen to pre-service social studies teachers has limited benefits in impacting pre-service teachers’ plans to incorporate civic education in future classes and in how they perceive themselves as citizens in a democracy.

This article focuses on advanced undergraduate pre-service teachers’ perceptions and likelihood of integrating Project Citizen¹ into future middle and high school curricula after completing Project Citizen as part of a required undergraduate “Programs in Social Education” course. Project Citizen promotes civic learning through a multifaceted program that teaches students about public policy and citizenship. It includes a service- learning experience that promotes student community involvement in influencing public policy. The study contributes to the civic education literature by examining the perceptions held by an underexamined, yet important, population that plays a critical role in advancing civic education—the middle and high school teacher. The study further considers pre-service teachers’ own sense of their role as citizens in a democracy and examines whether and how these attitudes impact pre-service teachers’ desires and expectations of integrating civic education and engagement experiences into their social studies curricula. The results of the study will aid scholars and activists in their efforts to identify potential areas of opportunity and risk to advancing civic education.