Research
Closing Gender Gaps in Political Knowledge and Efficacy: College-Level Civic Education and the Compensation Effect
In this paper coauthored with Alex Smith, we examine whether women enter college-level civics less politically knowledgeable, confident, and efficacious than men, and if so, whether taking college-level civics closes these gaps. We find that both males and females gain confidence and efficacy by completing Introduction to American Government, but importantly, this coursework significantly reduces gender gaps. We also see evidence that growth in political knowledge confidence among females is more pronounced for those whose parents talked less about politics when they were growing up and for those whose instructors used active learning. The results speak to the importance and power of civic education.
People Like Me? Enhancing Course Relevance and Political Efficacy
In this study, we examine how incorporating relatable content into college-level civics courses shapes student engagement and efficacy. We introduce profiles of “regular people,” a wide range of ordinary individuals who have shaped politics, and find that students who received the profiles develop a stronger sense of personal connection to the course material. Further, these students also grew more in internal political efficacy—the feeling that one has the knowledge and skills to make a difference in the political process—over the semester compared to those who did not receive the regular people profiles.
Resentment or Empowerment? Civic Education and the Political Efficacy of Rural Students
This paper builds on previous evidence that a person's place-based identity (being from a rural or non-rural area) shapes individuals’ views of government and politics. Our analysis suggests that rural identity plays a significant role in individuals’ growth in internal efficacy when exposed to civic education, especially for rural individuals who are first-generation college students. We also find that individuals’ place-based resentment remains unchanged by civic education, and that high resentment – found almost exclusively among rural individuals – constrains growth in internal political efficacy. These results shed light on key questions in American democracy, such as who feels equipped to make a meaningful difference, who feels marginalized, and the extent to which civic education can boost or combat these issues. Click here to read our full article.
Calibrating Confidence: Civic Education and the Relationship between Objective Political Knowledge and Political Knowledge Confidence
In a paper coauthored with Alex Smith, we explore the relationship between objective political knowledge and political knowledge confidence. The results reflect that confidence in one’s politics can become more aligned with one’s objective knowledge after taking college civics. This conclusion makes several important contributions to the bodies of research on political knowledge, civic education and the Dunning-Kruger effect in political behavior. Additionally, shedding light on the relationship between what individuals know about politics and what they think they know, emphasizing the importance of civic education in shaping an informed and active electorate. Click here to read our full article.
The Impact of Course Structure on Students’ Political Efficacy and Confidence-in-Knowledge in Introduction to American Government Courses
Introduction to American Government is a foundational general education course meant to promote understanding of and participation in democracy. But there is substantial variation in how the course is structured in terms of size, modality, and pedagogy. We leverage variation in course structures to assess their impact on students’ growth in political efficacy and knowledge-confidence while taking the course. The results show that active/interactive pedagogy is a key promoter of student learning about politics. Click here to read our full article.
Disrupted Learning about Democracy: Instructor Strategies for Navigating Temporary Modality Shifts
In this short, open access paper, we tracked temporary modality changes across 10 sections of Introduction to American Government and found that students rated instructors’ handling of shifts well if they made course material engaging, communicated clearly, and effectively used technology. The analysis suggests that instructors can mitigate the impact of unplanned changes to modality on students’ learning when there are three or fewer shifts during a semester. Click here to read our full article.