Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gvvz8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-20T11:55:47.347Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Development of Students’ Engagement in School, Community and Democracy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 October 2018

John B. Holbein ,
D. Sunshine Hillygus ,
Matthew A. Lenard ,
Christina Gibson-Davis  and
Darryl V. Hill
John B. Holbein*
Affiliation:
Department of Political Science, Brigham Young University
D. Sunshine Hillygus
Affiliation:
Department of Political Science, Duke University
Matthew A. Lenard
Affiliation:
Department of Data Strategy & Analytics, Wake County Public Schools System
Christina Gibson-Davis
Affiliation:
Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University
Darryl V. Hill
Affiliation:
Fulton County Public Schools System
*
*Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This article explores the origins of youth engagement in school, community and democracy. Specifically, it considers the role of psychosocial or non-cognitive abilities, like grit or perseverance. Using a novel original large-scale longitudinal survey of students linked to school administrative records and a variety of modeling techniques – including sibling, twin and individual fixed effects – the study finds that psychosocial abilities are a strong predictor of youth civic engagement. Gritty students miss less class time and are more engaged in their schools, are more politically efficacious, are more likely to intend to vote when they become eligible, and volunteer more. Our work highlights the value of psychosocial attributes in the political socialization of young people.

Keywords

political socializationnon-cognitive skillseducationpolitical participation
Type
Articles
Information
British Journal of Political Science , Volume 50 , Issue 4 , October 2020 , pp. 1439 - 1457
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2018

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Achen, C and Blais, A (2010) Intention to vote, reported vote, and validated vote. Presented at the American Political Science Association Meeting, Washington, DC, 2–5 September.Google Scholar
Alan, S, Boneva, T and Ertac, S (2016) Ever failed, try again, succeed better: results from a randomized educational intervention on grit. Working Paper, University of Essex.10.2139/ssrn.2761390CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Appleton, JJ et al. (2006) Measuring cognitive and psychological engagement: validation of the student engagement instrument. Journal of School Psychology 44 (5):427–445.10.1016/j.jsp.2006.04.002CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Astuto, J and Ruck, M (2010) Early childhood as a foundation for civic engagement. In Sherrod, LR et al. (eds) Handbook of Research on Civic Engagement in Youth. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley & Sons, pp. 249–276.10.1002/9780470767603.ch10CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bandura, A (1977) Self-Efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review 84 (2):191–215.10.1037/0033-295X.84.2.191CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bandura, A et al. 1996) Multifaceted Impact of Self-Efficacy Beliefs on Academic Functioning. Child Development 67 (3):1206–1222.10.2307/1131888CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blair, C and Razza, RP (2007) Relating effortful control, executive function, and false belief understanding to emerging math and literacy ability in kindergarten. Child Development 78 (2):647–663.10.1111/j.1467-8624.2007.01019.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bouchard, TJ and McGue, M (2003) Genetic and environmental influences on human psychological differences. Journal of Neurobiology 54 (1):4–45.10.1002/neu.10160CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Burden, BJ et al. 2017) How different forms of health matter to political participation: the role of cognitive, physical, and general health functioning. Journal of Politics 79 (1):166–178.10.1086/687536CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brady, HE and McNulty, JE (2011) Turning out to vote: the costs of finding and getting to the polling place. American Political Science Review 105 (1):115–134.10.1017/S0003055410000596CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Campbell, A, Gurin, G and Miller, WE (1954) The Voter Decides. Evanston, IL: Row, Peterson.Google Scholar
Campbell, DE (2006) Why we Vote: How Schools and Communities Shape our Civic Life. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Campbell, DE and Niemi, RG (2016) Testing civics: state-level civic education requirements and political knowledge. American Political Science Review 110 (3):495–511.10.1017/S0003055416000368CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Charney, E and English, W (2012) Candidate genes and political behavior. American Political Science Review 106 (1):1–34.10.1017/S0003055411000554CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cobb-Clark, AD and Schurer, S (2012) The stability of big-five personality traits. Economics Letters 115 (1):11–15.10.1016/j.econlet.2011.11.015CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Condon, M and Holleque, M (2013) Entering politics: general self‐efficacy and voting behavior among young people. Political Psychology 34 (2):167–181.10.1111/pops.12019CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Credé, M, Tynan, MC and Harms, PD (2017) Much ado about grit: a meta-analytic synthesis of the grit literature. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 113 (3):492–511.10.1037/pspp0000102CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cunha, F and Heckman, J (2007) The economics of human development: the technology of skill formation. American Economic Review 97 (2):31–47.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dawes, CD et al. 2014) The relationship between genes, psychological traits, and political participation. American Journal of Political Science 58 (4):888–903.10.1111/ajps.12100CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dawson, RE and Prewitt, K (1968) Political Socialization: An Analytic Study. London: Little, Brown.Google Scholar
Denny, K and Doyle, O (2008) Political interest, cognitive ability and personality: determinants of voter turnout in Britain. British Journal of Political Science 38 (2):291–310.10.1017/S000712340800015XCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dinesen, PT et al. 2016) Estimating the impact of education on political participation: evidence from monozygotic twins in the United States, Denmark and Sweden. Political Behavior 38 (3):579–601.10.1007/s11109-015-9328-2CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Duckworth, A (2016) Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. New York: Scribner.Google Scholar
Duckworth, A et al. 2007) Grit: perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 92 (6):1087–1101.10.1037/0022-3514.92.6.1087CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Duckworth, AL and Quinn, PD (2009) Development and validation of the Short Grit Scale (GRIT–S). Journal of Personality Assessment 91 (2):166–174.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dweck, C, Walton, GM and Cohen, GL (2011) Academic Tenacity: Mindsets and Skills that Promote Long-Term Learning. Seattle, WA: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.Google Scholar
Eccles, JS et al. (1993) Development during adolescence: the impact of stage-environment fit on young adolescents’ experiences in schools and in families. American Psychologist 48 (2):90–101.10.1037/0003-066X.48.2.90CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Erickson, LH (2015) The thorny politics of mobility. In Reeves R, (ed.) Does Character Matter? Essays on Opportunity and the American Dream. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press, pp. 64–67.Google Scholar
Eskreis-Winkler, L et al. (2014) The grit effect: predicting retention in the military, the workplace, school and marriage. Frontiers in Psychology 12 (5):1–12.Google Scholar
Farrington, CA et al. (2012) Teaching Adolescents to Become Learners: The Role of Noncognitive Factors in Shaping School Performance – A Critical Literature Review. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Report CCSR.Google Scholar
Fast, LA et al. (2010) Does math self-efficacy mediate the effect of the perceived classroom environment on standardized math test performance? Journal of Educational Psychology 102 (3):729–740.10.1037/a0018863CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Flanagan, CA, Syvertsen, AK and Stout, MD (2007) Civic measurement models: tapping adolescents’ civic engagement. CIRCLE Working Paper No. 55, Tufts University.Google Scholar
Flanagan, C (2003) Developmental roots of political engagement. PS: Political Science and Politics 36 (2):257–261.Google Scholar
Fowler, JH, Baker, LA and Dawes, CT (2008) Genetic variation in political participation. American Political Science Review 102 (2):233–248.10.1017/S0003055408080209CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fowler, JH and Kam, CD (2006) Patience as a political virtue: delayed gratification and turnout. Political Behavior 28 (2):113–128.10.1007/s11109-006-9004-7CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fox, RL and Lawless, JL (2014) Uncovering the origins of the gender gap in political ambition. American Political Science Review 108 (3):499–519.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fredricks, JA, Blumenfeld, PC and Paris, AH (2004) School engagement: potential of the concept, state of the evidence. Review of Educational Research 74 (1):59–109.10.3102/00346543074001059CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Freedman, DA, Collier, D and Sekhon, JS (2010) Statistical Models and Causal Inference: A Dialogue with the Social Sciences. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Gollwitzer, PM (1999) Implementation intentions: strong effects of simple plans. American Psychologist 54 (7):493–503.10.1037/0003-066X.54.7.493CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goodman, J (2014) Flaking Out: Student Absences and Snow Days as Disruptions of Instructional Time. Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research.10.3386/w20221CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Greenstein, F (1965) Children and politics. In Greenburg E, (ed.) Political Socialization. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, pp. 56–63.Google Scholar
Hanushek, EA, Kain, JF and Rivkin, SG (2004) Disruption versus tiebout improvement: the costs and benefits of switching schools. Journal of Public Economics 88 (9):1721–1746.10.1016/S0047-2727(03)00063-XCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hart, SA et al. (2009) The ABCs of math: A genetic analysis of mathematics and its links with reading ability and general cognitive ability. Journal of Educational Psychology 101 (2):388–402.10.1037/a0015115CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Heckman, JJ (2000) Policies to foster human capital. Research in Economics 54 (1):3–56.10.1006/reec.1999.0225CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heckman, J and Kautz, T (2013) Fostering and Measuring Skills: Interventions That Improve Character and Cognition. Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research.10.3386/w19656CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hillygus, DS (2005) The Missing Link: Exploring the Relationship Between Higher Education and Political Engagement. Political behavior 27 (1):25–47.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hitt, C, Trivitt, J and Cheng, A (2016) When you say nothing at all: the predictive power of student effort on surveys. Economics of Education Review 52, 105–109.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holbein, JB (2017) Childhood skill development and adult political participation. American Political Science Review 111 (3):572–583.10.1017/S0003055417000119CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ivcevic, Z and Brackett, M (2014) Predicting school success: Comparing conscientiousness, grit, and emotion regulation ability. Journal of Research in Personality 52 (1):29–36.10.1016/j.jrp.2014.06.005CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jennings, MK et al. (2005) Youth-Parent Socialization Panel Study, 1965-1997: Four Waves Combined, ICPSR04037-v1. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research.Google Scholar
Kelley, TL (1927) Interpretation of educational measurements. Yonkers, NY: World Book.Google Scholar
Kirkman, EM et al. (2016) Does Participating in Social Action Boost the Skills Young People Need to Succeed in Adult Life? Behavioural Insights Team.Google Scholar
Kleiman, EM et al. (2013) Gratitude and grit indirectly reduce risk of suicidal ideations by enhancing meaning in life: evidence for a mediated moderation model. Journal of Research in Personality 47 (5):539–546.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ladd, HF, Clotfelter, CT and Holbein, JB (2015) The Growing Segmentation of the Charter School Sector in North Carolina. Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research.10.3386/w21078CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Luskin, RC (1990) Explaining political sophistication. Political Behavior 12 (4):331–361.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marzana, D et al. (2015) Memory of the quality of group experiences during childhood and adolescence in predicting volunteerism in young adults. VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations 26 (5):2044–2060.10.1007/s11266-014-9504-8CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Masten, AS et al. (2009) Resilience in Development, In Lopez, SJ and Snyder, CR, (eds) Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 117–131.Google Scholar
McFarland, DA and Thomas, RJ (2006) Bowling young: how youth voluntary associations influence adult political participation. American Sociological Review 71 (3):401–425.10.1177/000312240607100303CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Medland, SE and Hatemi, PK (2009) Political science, biometric theory, and twin studies: a methodological introduction. Political Analysis 17, 191–214.10.1093/pan/mpn016CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meredith, M (2009) Persistence in political participation. Quarterly Journal of Political Science 4 (3):187–209.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Metz, EC and Youniss, J (2005) Longitudinal gains in civic development through school‐based required service. Political Psychology 26 (3):413–437.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meyers, R, Pignault, A and Houssemand, C (2013) The role of motivation and self-regulation in dropping out of school. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences 89, 270–275.10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.08.845CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mondak, JJ (2010) Personality and the Foundations of Political Behavior. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.10.1017/CBO9780511761515CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Neuman, WR (1986) The Paradox of Mass Politics. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Nie, NH, Junn, J and Stehlik-Barry, K (1996) Education and Democratic Citizenship in America. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Niemi, RG and Hepburn, MA (1995) The rebirth of political socialization. Perspectives on Political Science 24 (1):7–16.10.1080/10457097.1995.9941860CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Niemi, RG and Jennings, MK (1991) Issues and inheritance in the formation of party identification. American Journal of Political Science 35 (4):970–988.10.2307/2111502CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ong, AD et al. (2006) Psychological resilience, positive emotions, and successful adaptation to stress in later life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 91 (4):730–749.10.1037/0022-3514.91.4.730CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Oskarsson, S et al. (2017) Education and social trust: testing a causal hypothesis using the discordant twin design. Political Psychology 38 (3):515–531.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pettigrew, S (2016) The downstream effects of long lines: how long waits at the precinct depress future turnout. Paper presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago IL, 7–10 April.Google Scholar
Plutzer, E (2002) Becoming a habitual voter: inertia, resources, and growth in young adulthood. American Political Science Review 96 (1):41–56.10.1017/S0003055402004227CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Plutzer, E and Wiefek, N (2006) Family transitions, economic status, and voter turnout among African‐American inner‐city women. Social Science Quarterly 87 (3):658–678.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Prior, M (2010) You’ve either got it or you don’t? The stability of political interest over the life cycle. The Journal of Politics 72 (3):747–766.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Prior, M (2018) Hooked: How Political Interest Fuels Our Democracy.10.1017/9781108355001CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ravitch, D and Viteritti, JP (2003) Making Good Citizens: Education and Civil Society. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.Google Scholar
Reed, J, Pritschet, B and Cutton, D (2013) Grit, conscientiousness, and the transtheoretical model of change for exercise behavior. Journal of Health Psychology 18 (5):612–619.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rimfeld, K et al. (2016) True grit and genetics: predicting academic achievement from personality. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology 111 (5):780–789.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ris, EW (2015) Grit: a short history of a useful concept. Journal of Educational Controversy 10 (1):1–18.Google Scholar
Salles, A, Cohen, GL and Mueller, CM (2014) The relationship between grit and resident well-being. The American Journal of Surgery 207 (2):251–254.10.1016/j.amjsurg.2013.09.006CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sapiro, V (2004) Not your parents’ political socialization: introduction for a new generation. Annual Review of Political Science 7, 1–23.10.1146/annurev.polisci.7.012003.104840CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Searing, DD, Schwartz, JJ and Lind, AE (1973) The structuring principle: political socialization and belief systems. American Political Science Review 67 (2):415–432.10.2307/1958774CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sears, DO and Funk, CL (1991) The role of self-interest in social and political attitudes. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology 24, 1–91.Google Scholar
Sears, DO and Levy, S (2003) Childhood and adult political development. In Sears DO, Huddy L and Jervis R, (eds) Oxford Handbook of Political Psychology. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 60–109.Google Scholar
Shechtman, N et al. (2013) Promoting Grit, Tenacity, and Perseverance: Critical Factors for Success in the 21st Century. Washington, DC: US Department of Education Office of Educational Technology.Google Scholar
Soldz, S and Vaillant, GE (1999) The Big Five personality traits and the life course: A 45-year longitudinal study. Journal of Research in Personality 33 (2):208–232.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Strayhorn, TL (2014) What role does grit play in the academic success of black male collegians at predominantly white institutions? Journal of African American Studies 18 (1):1–10.10.1007/s12111-012-9243-0CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tough, P (2013) How Children Succeed. New York, NY: Random House.Google Scholar
Tucker-Drob, EM et al. (2016) Genetically-mediated associations between measures of childhood character and academic achievement. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 111 (5):790–815.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Verba, S et al. (1995) Voice and Equality: Civic Voluntarism in American Politics (Vol. 4). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Von Culin, KR, Tsukayama, E and Duckworth, AL (2014) Unpacking grit: motivational correlates of perseverance and passion for long-term goals. The Journal of Positive Psychology 9 (4):306–312.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Watts, RJ and Flanagan, C (2007) Pushing the envelope on youth civic engagement: a developmental and liberation psychology perspective. Journal of Community Psychology 35 (6):779–792.10.1002/jcop.20178CrossRefGoogle Scholar
West, MR et al. (2016) Promise and paradox measuring students’ noncognitive skills and the impact of schooling. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis 38 (1):148–170.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
West, M, Sherer, E and Dow, A (2016) Measuring Social-Emotional Skills at Scale: Evidence from California’s CORE Districts. Presented at the 2016 Annual Association for Education Finance and Policy Meetings, Denver, CO, 17–19 March.Google Scholar
Windle, G, Bennett, KM and Noyes, J (2011) A methodological review of resilience measurement scales. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes 9 (1):1–18.10.1186/1477-7525-9-8CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wolfinger, RE and Rosenstone, SJ (1980) Who votes? New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.Google Scholar
Supplementary material: PDF

Holbein et al. supplementary material

Holbein et al. supplementary material 1

Download Holbein et al. supplementary material(PDF)
PDF 188.9 KB