You are here

FAU Collections » FAU Research Repository » FAU Theses and Dissertations

Using the "We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution" curriculum to improve middle school minority student knowledge and understanding of the United States Constitution and perception of their rights and responsibilities in American society

Download pdf | Full Screen View

Date Issued:
2003
Summary:
The focus of this study was to determine whether the We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum improved knowledge and understanding of the U.S. Constitution of middle school minority students. A second focus of this study was to determine if the same curriculum improved student perception of their rights and responsibilities in American society. The Test on the History and Principles of the United States Constitution Level II was used to determine whether there existed a difference between middle school minority students participating in the We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum and middle school minority students enrolled in the traditional textbook-driven civics education program. The second instrument, Student Perception Questionnaire, measured perception of the rights and responsibilities of middle school minority students who participated in the We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum and students enrolled in the traditional textbook-driven civics education curriculum. The instruments were administered to a total of 247 8th grade middle school students. The inquiry found significant differences in knowledge and understanding between 8th grade students who used the We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum and students who used the traditional textbook-driven civics education curriculum. Independent sample t tests revealed mean pretest values to be nearly identical but posttest values to be higher among students using the We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum. The results demonstrated that the We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum had a greater impact on the knowledge and understanding of the U.S. Constitution of middle school minority students participating in the We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum compared to students enrolled in the traditional textbook-driven civics education program. The study also found that there was only a marginally improved student perception between those students who participated in the We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum and students enrolled in the traditional textbook-driven curriculum. Independent sample tests revealed that the change was insignificant. Research on effective citizenship education programs in American schools can play a significant role in the continuous efforts of social studies educators in promoting political participation among minority populations.
Title: Using the "We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution" curriculum to improve middle school minority student knowledge and understanding of the United States Constitution and perception of their rights and responsibilities in American society.
126 views
30 downloads
Name(s): Shreffler, Michael R.
Florida Atlantic University, Degree Grantor
College of Education
Department of Teaching and Learning
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 2003
Physical Form: pdf
Extent: 99 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: The focus of this study was to determine whether the We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum improved knowledge and understanding of the U.S. Constitution of middle school minority students. A second focus of this study was to determine if the same curriculum improved student perception of their rights and responsibilities in American society. The Test on the History and Principles of the United States Constitution Level II was used to determine whether there existed a difference between middle school minority students participating in the We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum and middle school minority students enrolled in the traditional textbook-driven civics education program. The second instrument, Student Perception Questionnaire, measured perception of the rights and responsibilities of middle school minority students who participated in the We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum and students enrolled in the traditional textbook-driven civics education curriculum. The instruments were administered to a total of 247 8th grade middle school students. The inquiry found significant differences in knowledge and understanding between 8th grade students who used the We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum and students who used the traditional textbook-driven civics education curriculum. Independent sample t tests revealed mean pretest values to be nearly identical but posttest values to be higher among students using the We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum. The results demonstrated that the We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum had a greater impact on the knowledge and understanding of the U.S. Constitution of middle school minority students participating in the We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum compared to students enrolled in the traditional textbook-driven civics education program. The study also found that there was only a marginally improved student perception between those students who participated in the We the People...The Citizen and the Constitution curriculum and students enrolled in the traditional textbook-driven curriculum. Independent sample tests revealed that the change was insignificant. Research on effective citizenship education programs in American schools can play a significant role in the continuous efforts of social studies educators in promoting political participation among minority populations.
Identifier: 9780496568741 (isbn), 12058 (digitool), FADT12058 (IID), fau:8971 (fedora)
Note(s): Advisers: Toni Fuss Kirkwood-Tucker; Angela E. Rhone.
Thesis (Ed.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2003.
Subject(s): Education, Bilingual and Multicultural
Education, Secondary
Education, Social Sciences
Sociology, Ethnic and Racial Studies
Education, Curriculum and Instruction
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/12058
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize\ archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Host Institution: FAU