The development of civic values: case study of the United States of America

This chapter describes the study as it was conducted in the United States in three public schools that differed substantially in the socioeconomic status (SES) of the students who were enrolled. The results tended to differ across the schools in line with the student composition. For example, in the two higher SES schools, the emphasis was on the development of critical inquiry and thinking skills, whereas in the lower SES school the focus was on the rudiments of getting a job and becoming a productive member of society. In addition, in the two higher SES schools, there was general congruence among principal, teacher, and student perspectives. This was not the case in the lower SES school.