Judith Torney-Purta

• University of Maryland, College Park

Review of: Educating for Empathy: Literacy Learning and Civic Engagement , Nicole Mirra (2018) New York: Teachers College Press, 147 pp., ISBN 978-0-80775-914-1, $29.95 USD

Review of: Educating for Empathy: Literacy Learning and Civic Engagement , Nicole Mirra (2018) New York: Teachers College Press, 147 pp., ISBN 978-0-80775-914-1, $29.95 USD

The purpose of this chapter is to synthesize existing literature on how formal learning environments support (or detract from) young people’s civic reasoning, discourse, and (in turn) civic engagement. In addition to relevant literature from several areas of education, the authors incorporate concepts from political science as well as several branc...

This open access book identifies the multiple ways that IEA’s studies of civic and citizenship education have contributed to national and international educational discourse, research, policymaking, and practice. The IEA International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS), first conducted in 2009, was followed by a second cycle in 2016. The...

Interactions within classrooms contribute to adolescents’ democratic civic development by providing resources fostering students’ political understanding. Many teachers participate in social or political groups in their communities and more broadly. These out-of-school experiences inform their classroom practices and are contextualized by national...

This article examines teachers' beliefs about the aims of citizenship education in 12 countries from Europe and Asia. A latent class analysis of the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study of 2009 identified three distinct profiles of teachers' beliefs about the goals of citizenship education. These profiles are associated with teachers...

Organizations conducting international large-scale assessments (ILSAs), such as PISA and TIMSS, rely on the media to disseminate the results. Examination of the nature of media coverage of ILSAs is limited, however. The paper presents a multi-country analysis of media coverage of OECD-PISA 2012. Using a standardized protocol and samples of news art...

Students’ learning experiences and outcomes are shaped by school and classroom contexts. Many studies have shown how an open, democratic classroom climate relates to learning in the citizenship domain and helps nurture active and engaged citizens. However, little research has been undertaken to look at how such a favorable classroom climate may wor...

Large-scale international databases provide valuable resources for scholars, educators and policy-makers interested in civic engagement and education in nations that are democracies or striving towards democracy. However, the multidiscipli-nary nature of secondary analysis of these data has created a fragmentary picture that limits educators’ aware...

This study applies the alignment method, a technique for assessing measurement equivalence across many groups, to the analysis of adolescents’ support for immigrants’ rights in a pooled data set from the 1999 International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) Civic Education Study and the 2009 IEA International Civics and...

This paper synthesizes three presentations from the By the People conference held at Arizona State University in December 2015. The first section deals with the research process and findings from the IEA Civic Education Study (CIVED) conducted in the late 1990s in nearly 30 countries with national representative samples of 14-year-olds. It had a mo...

Students report learning about civics from reading textbooks more than from any other instructional activity. The US textbooks are often poorly organized, unfamiliar and uninteresting, creating a comprehension challenge for adolescents who struggle to learn the content these books contain. This study explored whether adolescents could understand ci...

This study investigates how text features and item characteristics are associated with early adolescents’ performance in large-scale assessments in civic education (CIVED). Examining responses to multiple-choice items from the IEA CIVED assessment, the study identified linguistic features related to item difficulty. These features account for more...

Civic learning is increasingly recognized as important by the higher education and workforce communities. The development of high-quality assessments that can be used to evaluate students' civic learning during the college years has become a priority. This paper presents a comprehensive review of existing frameworks, definitions, and assessments of...

Using the Developmental Niche for Emergent Participatory Citizenship (Torney-Purta and Amadeo, 2011) as a framework, we examined differences between immigrant and native-born youth’s civic knowledge and support for women’s rights in Sweden and the United States, and explored whether experiences with peers and parents, and in formal and informal edu...

Purpose – This paper presents a moderated discussion on popular misconceptions, benefits and limitations of International Large-Scale Assessment (ILSA) programs, clarifying how ILSA results could be more appropriately interpreted and used in public policy contexts in the USA and elsewhere in the world. Design/methodology/approach – To bring key is...

Youth civic engagement occupies a central space in applied developmental science. However, understanding of the processes and contexts in which early adolescents become civically engaged is still limited. This study draws on a sample of approximately 4,000 students from 11 urban middle schools in Tennessee to address several gaps in the civic engag...

International Large-Scale Assessments (ILSAs) have been used to draw comparisons among countries on a variety of topics in education and, more broadly, for example, in adolescent development. These assessments can inform the public about influential factors on the micro and macro levels, foster interdisciplinary and international collaboration, and...

Adolescents' attitudes toward immigrants develop in tandem with their sense of national identity. In this article we identify factors that influence restrictive views of nationalism and opposition or support for immigrants' rights during young people's formative years, among the generation that comprises today's young adults. Data were analyzed fro...

Mathematic, scientific, and literacy skills have taken center stage in the field of international large-scale assessments, and country rankings have become ubiquitous. However, three studies since the 1970s have addressed the topic of measuring civic engagement and citizenship and have examined patterns of student achievement in attitudes and skill...

Since the end of the cold war, unprecedented developments propelled by the opening of former communist countries and the rapid intensification of communication associated with the Internet have occurred. This new socioeconomic and sociopolitical context creates a need to prepare younger generations for life in an increasingly interconnected and mul...

Discusses the application of cognitive psychology to instruction in specific domains and suggests ways of improving social studies accordingly. New information is received by students and given meaning in terms of their past experience and cognitive structures (schemata). Schemata function to organize information that the student already possesses...

The purpose of this study was to examine two aspects of context for peer aggression: national individualism and distributions of socioeconomic status in the school. School administrators for each school reported on their perceptions of the frequency of bullying and violence in their school. The sample comprised 990 school principals/headmasters fro...

This study investigates direct and indirect family, peer, school, and neighborhood effects on adolescents' civic engagement utilizing data from the 1999 IEA Civic Education Study and the U.S. Census. The nationally representative sample consists of 2,729 students from 119 schools in the U.S. Multi-level regression techniques provide precise estimat...

In 2 related studies framed by social constructivism theory, the authors explored a fine-grained analysis of adolescents' civic conceptual knowledge and skills and investigated them in relation to factors such as teachers' qualifications and students' classroom experiences. In Study 1 (with about 2,800 U.S. students), the authors identified 4 cogni...

Both the 1999 IEA Civic Education Study (CIVED) and the 2009 IEA International Civics and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) sought to examine young people’s attitudes and behaviors as related to civic engagement in addition to their civic knowledge. Now that both studies are completed, questions can be asked about the extent to which the averages...

How do culturally, politically, and economically different actors define education in the UNESCO 1974 Recommendation concerning Education for International Understanding, Co-operation and Peace and Education relating to Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms? This exploration of the document aims to increase understanding of the work of organization...

The last 6 decades of empirical research on civic engagement among young people living in democracies and of the recognition of international human rights have seen the achievement of many milestones. This article focuses on some connections between these 2 areas and examines the ways in which everyday settings such as neighborhoods and the schools...

This article is based on the assumption that the right to vote in national elections is not an essential dimension of citizenship for early adolescents as long as adolescents’ other competencies and attitudes are nurtured in their everyday settings. The article addresses the issue of children or early adolescents and their political and civic parti...

Cross-national research in civic education spans four decades, moving from a controversial area of investigation to research providing respected evidence for international policy discussions. Of particular note is the IEA Study of Civic Education (CIVED), which assessed adolescents' civic knowledge, skills, attitudes, and activities in nearly 30 co...

Introduction Survey Research in Political Socialization and Civic Engagement Improving Research in Civic Engagement by Improving the Framework for Generating Research Questions Improving Research in Civic Engagement by Using Multiple Methods Contrasting Quantitative (Survey) and Qualitative (Focus Group) Methods in Studying Civic Engagement Conclus...

As they mature, adolescents shape their notions of citizenship and of national identity. They have experiences that may persuade them to support the rights or other minorities or, alternatively, to believe that limiting the opportunities of others enhances the position of their own group. In spite of this, most research on adolescents' national ide...

As they mature, adolescents shape their notions of citizenship and of national identity. They have experiences that may persuade them to support the rights or other minorities or, alternatively, to believe that limiting the opportunities of others enhances the position of their own group. In spite of this, most research on adolescents' national ide...

Models of personal epistemology have not been sufficiently integrated despite conceptual similarities. We attempted to model both dimensional and positional aspects of personal epistemology, as well as examine the domain specificity of these phenomena. The conceptual framework for this study was a new model of epistemic and ontological cognitive de...

The allure of personal epistemology research is the implicit assumption that in some cases students’ poor academic performance may not be due to any deficiency in skill or ability, but rather due to their naïve beliefs about knowledge and knowing (Hofer and Pintrich, 1997). Numerous researchers have asserted that naïve or less sophisticated beliefs...

After a brief history of the Committee on International Relations of the American Psychological Association, 3 points are made about international psychological research that matters. First, it matters when the definition of the research problem area and the findings can potentially be reflected in policy change, in the practice of educators or psy...

- Following a brief history of the three Civic Education Studies conducted by IEA over nearly 30 years, the focus is on results for Italian 14-15 year olds in the 1971 and 1999 studies. The first civic education study (1971) showed that Italian teachers had poor preparation to teach civic education (stressing good manners rather than civic or polit...

An understanding of human rights among young people forms a foundation for future support and practice of rights. We have used data from 88,000 14-year-olds surveyed in the 1999 International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) Civic Education Study to examine country differences in students' knowledge pertaining to huma...

We propose an integration of aspects of several developmental and systems of beliefs models of personal epistemology. Qualitatively different positions, including realism, dogmatism, skepticism, and rationalism, are characterized according to individuals' beliefs across three dimensions in a model of epistemic and ontological cognition. This model...

The discrepancies between test-based and teacher-based criteria of high achievement are well-documented for students of all ages. This study seeks to determine whether certain high school students who score high on tests of academic achievement are more likely than others to be nominated for advanced academic programs by their teachers. Using Gagné...

Deficiencies in current indicators of civic life skills are identified and the IEA Civic Education Study (conducted in 28 countries) is suggested as a source of psychometrically-sound indicators for early adolescents. The multidimensional nature of indicators of expected participation is demonstrated with analyses of the profiles of participation f...

Many studies have reported gaps between Latino and non-Latino adolescents in academic and political outcomes. The current study presents possible explanations for such gaps, both at the individual and school level. Hierarchical linear modeling is employed to examine data from 2,811 American ninth graders (approximately 14 years of age) who had part...

Political participation is critical for the legitimacy of democracy, yet we know surprisingly little about how political competencies develop and can be promoted in young adults. Many studies show low levels of political activity among young Americans, including college students and recent graduates. Although this is widely recognized as a problem,...

vorhanden No Abstract available

While policy-makers and educators have paid increasing attention to the importance of civic education, little is known about how teachers' knowledge and beliefs influence students' development in this area. Most research focuses either on teachers of civic-related subjects or on their students (not linking them) and is conducted in one country (oft...

Schools play a critical role in the development of academic abilities of young people. Schools also serve as places that assist students in developing an understanding of society and commitment to political and civic engagement. In this role, schools can help foster the knowledge, skills and dispositions that young people need to develop into polit...

vorhanden No Abstract available

The nature and effects of trust in social and political institutions have been studied in adults, but few studies have focused on how trust affects the political socialization of children and adolescents, who are in the process of developing their attitudes towards government and other social institutions. Data collected in 1999 from the IEA Civic...

The recently completed IEA Civic Education Study collected data from 140,000 adolescent students in a total of 29 countries. A recent examination of the work of Nevitt Sanford shows that many aspects of the IEA Civic Education Study are parallel to methods and conclusions of his research from the 1950s through the 1970s and partake in the spirit of...

Representatives at the school, district and state levels, as well as scholars and researchers, have been working with the Education Commission of the States? National Center for Learning and Citizenship (ECS/NCLC) to define citizenship education in terms of three strands forming "a braid" of civic competencies. Beginning with the rationale and reco...

The purpose of this paper is to examine different facets of trust in the political system or civic realm and how they are correlated to the expected civic or political engagement of young people. The nature and effects of trust in social and political institutions have been studied in adults, distinguishing between various types of trust (in instit...

What difference does a sense of trust in a political system, schools, or fellow citizens make for young people's civic and political participation? Some argue that a certain amount of skepticism among adult citizens motivates participation rather than complacency. Is that also true for young people? Or, is there a threshold level of trust necessary...

The purpose of this paper is to examine different facets of trust in the political system or civic realm and how they are correlated to the expected civic or political engagement of young people. The nature and effects of trust in social and political institutions have been studied in adults, distinguishing between various types of trust (in instit...

Ways of enhancing knowledge of political institutions, processes and positions are the focus of many prescriptions for improving civic education and civic engagement among young people. A recent data source including a rigorously developed test of knowledge, provides an opportunity to empirically compare the performance of students in the United St...

In the late 1980s and early 1990s massive changes toward democratization took place across the world, and leaders in many countries began looking for guidance about what this meant for their youth and for the systems that were educating them. Little evidence from the social sciences was available to guide this process, as the study of political soc...

ized by IEA (the International Associa- tion for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement) tested 32,000 students in nine countries. That study concluded that an open climate for classroom discussion of controversial issues was especially likely to foster greater civic knowledge and less authoritarianism. A reanalysis of the 1971 IEA data from thr...

This current publication, Citizenship and education in twenty-eight countries, presents the first results of Phase 2 of the study. It follows a style similar to that traditionally used by IEA, and it complements the more qualitative approach of the first volume by reporting quantitative information from the tests, surveys and questionnaires. Togeth...

Schools achieve the best results in fostering civic engagement when they rigorously teach civic content and skills, ensure an open classroom climate for discussing issues, emphasize the importance of the electoral process, and encourage a participative school culture. Schools whose students do not plan to attend college and have few educational res...

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A travers une etude de l'IEA portant sur le civisme des adolescents, l'auteur dresse un tableau comparatif des resultats de cette recherche a travers les reponses d'eleves de 23 pays europeens. Les performances globales montrent une grande disparite de reaction et de connaissances, et l'auteur souligne l'importance de l'education dans l'education c...

The goal of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) Civic Education Study has been to examine, in a comparative framework, the political socialization of adolescents as they prepare for their roles as citizens of democracies. Approximately 90,000 students from the modal grade for 14-year-olds from nationall...

International comparisons of adolescents' political knowledge and attitudes offer insights into the impact that schools have on civic education and how they can foster democracy.

In June 1999, nearly 40 researchers and specialists in youth development gathered to participate in a conference entitled "Creating Citizenship: Youth Development for a Free and Democratic Society." This executive summary identifies a number of qualities and capacities of young people that are essential for achieving the goals of engaging in societ...

Reports the findings from Phase 1 of the Civic Education Study conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement. Explains that the study examined civic education in more than 30 countries worldwide. Focuses on civic education in the United States comparing the findings to those in other countries. (CMK)

This volume reports the results of the first phase of the Civic Education Study conducted by International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). During 1996 and 1997, researchers in 24 countries collected documentary evidence on the circumstances, contents, and processes of civic education in response to a common set of f...

The first purpose of this article is to describe the steps for conducting a simple evaluation (usable in a variety of different types of courses and programs). The second purpose is to report results from an evaluation of the ICONS Computer-Assisted Simulation, designed to teach both international concepts and content (declarative knowledge) and ne...

Attempted to show how naive theories, age, and education relate to higher order thinking in adolescents and adults. In a structured interview, 54 adolescents and adults were asked to make decisions about 2 political issues: global warming and homelessness. Half of the adolescents had attended an intensive workshop on multiple issues including globa...

The International Communications and Negotiations Project at the University of Maryland is described in terms of its units and levels of communication and the structures which set its context. In this project adolescents role play diplomats from different countries. All within-country-team communication takes place face to face; all between-team ne...

Socialization is viewed as a process of increasing expertise in the solving of political problems among U.S. adolescents.