Faculty Of Social and Behavioral Sciences

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Browsing Faculty Of Social and Behavioral Sciences by Author "Artin, Anna"

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    Grade Nine and Twelve Students' Attitudes toward Civics: Influences on Conceptions of Citizenship and Expected Participation
    (2017) Artin, Anna
    Citizenship education is a tool for nation building, developing social cohesion, and bringing up active citizens. However findings of previous studies have showed that students have negative attitudes toward this subject. Studies have also found a decline in the youth’s political engagement and their lack of participation in the life of the community. The study examined the attitudes of selected sample of Lebanese students towards civics, and the influence of instructional methods and classroom climate on their attitudes. It determined the relationship of these variables on students’ conceptions of citizenship and expected political participation. Finally, it examined if students' attitudes toward civics moderate the relationship between the grade level, classroom climate, instructional methods and the students' conceptions of citizenship and their expected citizenship participation. Questionnaires were distributed to 628 students in grades 9 and 12 in seven private schools in Lebanon. The study used a quantitative method, and utilized SPSS to analyze the data. Results showed positive attitudes towards civics for both grade levels and found that student centered instructional methods and open classroom climate predict students' conception of citizenship and their expected citizenship participation with variation in grade level. An important finding of the study was that students' conception of good citizenship was more strongly related to open classroom climate for discussion, when the attitudes towards civics were positive. Finally, an unexpected finding was that engaging in human rights activities and community service contributed to active participation.