Baylor University Study (2016)
Overview
During the summer of 2013 and 2014, researchers at Baylor University planned and hosted a free summer civics institute, iEngage, for students entering fifth through ninth grades. The students played a number of iCivics games and engaged in a variety of authentic civic experiences, including meeting local civic leaders, participating in a mock trial with local judges, and visiting the University law school. The study sought to uncover how students’ civic knowledge, attitudes, and dispositions changed as a result of participating in a summer civics institute.
Method
In 2013, iEngage was 3 days and had 55 attendees. In 2014, the camp expanded to 5 days with 94 campers in attendance. The curriculum, while focusing on the notion of youth civic agency, sought to structure the exploration of issues around the powers and processes of the three branches of local government. Campers played digital games on iCivics.org, engaged in hands-on activities, and participated in research and group discussion. The researchers utilized a mixed-methods approach. Qualitative data included student reflections, group discussions, semi-structured interviews, and student artifacts. Quantitative data included pre- and post-institute surveys, which were designed to assess students’ commitment to civic participation and competence for civic action. To code and analyze their qualitative data, the researchers utilized Gingold’s (2013) Building an Evidence-Based Practice of Action Civics Framework. Two levels of quantitative analysis were used on the survey data: percentage difference calculations to see changes in student responses and dependent samples t-test to see changes within survey items that attended to various citizenship attitudes and dispositions.
Results
The study found evidence that the iEngage Summer Civics Institute fostered four outcomes from Gingold’s action civics framework: producing 21st-century positive youth leaders, producing active and informed citizens, increasing youth civic participation, and encouraging youth civic creation. Notably, the combination of playing iCivics games and engaging in meaningful civic-related activities promoted students as active and informed citizens possessing increased knowledge of civics; commitment to electoral, community, and civic engagement; increased ability to enact change alone or with others; and a developed civic identity. Students were given the opportunity to apply the content knowledge they gained from playing iCivics games, which promoted increased understanding of civics content knowledge, statistically significant gains regarding participants’ attitudes about civic engagement, and increased sense of efficacy in their ability to make a difference in their community.