“They tell us we can change the world but never teach us how”: Students on the role of social and political activism in the curriculum

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2025

Publication Title

Journal of Curriculum and Pedagogy

Abstract

This manuscript describes a case study that uses data from focus group interviews examining two texts, Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience and King’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail as well as individual interviews to surface and center student perspectives on the role of teaching students to be social and political activists as part of the social studies curriculum. Students reacted to both texts strongly and engaged in thoughtful animated discussions of the arguments in the texts and their thoughts on civic agency and political activism. Students ultimately argued that civic agency and activism have a rightful place within the social studies curriculum and should be taught to students intentionally to develop engaged, active, and critical citizens. This study supports others that the skills and dispositions, how to go about engaging in civically engaged activism needs to be a more overt and clear part of the social studies curriculum.

DOI

10.1080/15505170.2025.2490517

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