(Ferguson, 2000, p. 19) This demonstrates that students are not receiving sufficient instruction in civics and government areas. While most students participating in the study correctly identified the roles of President Clinton, Martin Luther King, and Social Security, many could not correctly answer questions about the President signing bills into law, citizen participation in political campaigns, and how a county benefits from a Constitution. (Ibid.) The results of this study provide ample proof of the lack of adequate civic education and the need for a reevaluation of curricula in that area.
Because there has been such an emphasis put on mathematics, English, and the natural sciences, social studies has been puton the back burner,? and given less attention and designated less instructional time. In an international study of civic knowledge and social studies in nine grade students, performed by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), researchers found that US students who received social studies instruction every day did much better than US students who received social studies instruction twice a week or less. In addition, the instruction that is being delivered is reported as involving textbook reading and worksheets. Students are not engaging in activities like meeting political leaders, writing letter to give their opinion, or acting out mock trials. ( Hahn, 2001, p. 456) These students who had social studies every day were obviously receiving better civic education than those who had the subject twice a week or less. This proves that proper civics education, and enough of it, truly works and should be given to all students. .
This lack of instruction, and lack of student knowledge as a result, has led students to have a dislike for politics and government. It has also kept them from participating in political events, even voting.
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