CIVIC EDUCATION IN SOUTH DAKOTA K-12 SCHOOLS: THE EFFECT ON STUDENTS FROM K-12 TO ADULTHOOD

Author

Katrina Marie Callahan, University of South Dakota

Date of Award

Winter 12-10-2020

Document Type

Honors Thesis

Department/Major

Political Science

First Advisor

Dr. Shane Nordyke

Second Advisor

Dr. Julia Hellwege

Third Advisor

Dr. Jing Williams

Keywords

Civic Education, Civic Engagement, K-12, South Dakota

Subject Categories

Curriculum and Instruction | Elementary Education | Elementary Education and Teaching | Junior High, Intermediate, Middle School Education and Teaching | Other Political Science

Abstract

The South Dakota Department of Education (DOE) has emphasized the importance of civic education within the past four years. Since then, they have created various surveys and distributed them to the South Dakota K-12 teachers. This report discusses two surveys that were created for the purpose of helping the DOE in their efforts to increase the impact of civic education within the state and determine whether what they are currently doing is working on their students. The first survey was sent to SD K-12 teachers and the second to University of South Dakota students in order to compare the answers between the two sub-groups and their beliefs on whether civic education does impact a student’s level of civic engagement from K-12 schooling into adulthood. Because there were not enough respondents and the margin of error was too great, there can not be general conclusions drawn from this report. However, based on the respondents answers, the teachers do believe that civic education does impact their students through adulthood, but students believe that their schools have a lot of work to do before they can reach the same conclusion.

Recommended Citation

Marie Callahan, Katrina, "CIVIC EDUCATION IN SOUTH DAKOTA K-12 SCHOOLS: THE EFFECT ON STUDENTS FROM K-12 TO ADULTHOOD" (2020). Honors Thesis. 121.
https://red.library.usd.edu/honors-thesis/121