Research on student citizenship behaviors and the implications for practice

1. Research on student citizenship behaviors and the implications for practice Will Barratt, Ph.D. Indiana State University ACPA 2010, March 22, 2010

2. Student learning outcomes • When students walk across the stage at graduation what do you want them to know or be able to do? • (Theory)

3. University Learning Outcomes Assessment (UniLOA) • Critical Thinking • Self Awareness • Communication Skills • Diversity • Citizenship • Membership and Leadership • Relationships • (Theory to research)

4. About theory • Theory is an analytical tool, a model of reality that should have: • Explanatory value • Predictive value

5. About citizenship • Noun - A nationality status. For example I am a citizen of the United States of America. • Verb – A participation in the governance process. For example I vote. • In the USA this is participation in the multiparty representative democratic process. • In the PRC this is participation in the Communist Party democratic process.

6. About citizenship • Mark Frederick and I decided to collect data on the extent to which students self reported participating in behaviors associated with citizenship, as well as behaviors associated with critical thinking, with self awareness . . .

7. Citizenship behaviors • When students walk across the stage at graduation, what citizenship behaviors do you want them to do? • (Theory to research)

8. Citizenship behaviors • Start with many items, end up with a few • Conceptual analysis • Are there too many about voting? • Answer distribution • Does everyone score the same? Is there a range? • Item intercorrelation • Are two or more items too highly correlated? • Scale reliability • How will including, or excluding, an item affect alpha? • (Theory to research)

9. Never Always1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 • I spend time researching candidates before I vote. For example I will read some independent sources about more than one presidential candidate before making up my mind.

10. Never Always1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 • I am serious about voting. For example I actively access the media to learn about and to address questions about a candidate’s platform, beliefs, and values.

11. Never Always1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 • I am informed of current events. For example I regularly read, listen, or watch various media to remain current in my knowledge of local, regional, national and international events.

12. Never Always1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 • I vote. For example I am registered and vote in campus, local, state and national elections.

13. Never Always1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 • I know about current issues within the community. For example I know what the hot political and social issues are in my town.

14. Never Always1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 • I contribute financially to causes I believe in. For example I make financial donations to charities, organizations, and causes.

15. Never Always1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 • I can identify good political leaders. For example I am able to report to others the values, voting records, platform and political philosophy held by political leaders and understand how these compliment or contrast to those of the community.

16. Never Always1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 • I engage in the political process through voicing viewpoints. For example I write letters to the editor, engage in debate with others, or contact political leaders to voice my opinion.

17. Never Always1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 • I empower those around me. For example I actively seek the opinions of others and assess them in contrast to my own and am able to withhold judgment of the other person

18. Never Always1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 • I am active in organizations related to professional and personal interests without overextending my commitments. For example I belong to professional and hobby clubs and groups.

19. Citizenship behaviors • Behaviors exist within a: • Cultural context • Social context • Political context • Historical context • etc. • etc. • etc.

20. Grounded theory • The UniLOA citizenship scale reflects behaviors qualitatively analyzed to create a grounded theory of citizenship that was quantitatively analyzed to be reliable and conceptually analyzed to be valid.

21. Factor analysis • A factor analysis using varimax rotation identified two groups of items on the UniLOA: • Factor one, (eigenvalue of 23.3): Interdependence was composed primarily of 15 items from 6 of the 7 scales. • Factor two, (eigenvalue of 2.7): Citizenship was composed of 9 of the 10 items on that scale.

22. Data Source - Campus • Indiana State University • Grand Valley State University • Oklahoma City University • Washburn University • University of South Florida – St. Petersburg • Eastern Illinois University Athletes

23. Data Source - Greek • Delta Upsilon • Alpha Tau Omega • Delta Sigma Phi • Phi Kappa Tau • Zeta Tau Alpha

24. Specifics • 18159 participants from all combined on-paper and on-line data collection efforts • UniLOA • 70 items – 7 scales, 10 items each, plus 1 combination scale with 15 items • 30 demographic questions • Campus/Fraternity/Sorority specific items

25. Reliability

26. Ask • What is going on that causes these results? • What do these results suggest that we do more of or less of?

27. All domain data

28. Domains by gender

29. Domains by Non-Greek / Greek

30. Domains by hours completed

31. Domains by age

32. Domains by GPA

33. Domains by number of organizational memberships

34. Domains by number of offices held

35. Domains by Ethnicity

36. Domains by year

37. Citizenship by Major

38. Citizenship by military status

39. Citizenship by athletic scholarship

40. Citizenship by academic scholarship

41. Citizenship by hours per week volunteering

42. Citizenship items by gender

43. Item 19 • I am informed of current events. For example I regularly read, listen, or watch various media to remain current in my knowledge of local, regional, national and international events.

44. Item 33 • I know about current issues within the community. For example I know what the hot political and social issues are in my town.

45. Item 47 • I can identify good political leaders. For example I am able to report to others the values, voting records, platform and political philosophy held by political leaders and understand how these compliment or contrast to those of the community.

46. Item 54 • I engage in the political process through voicing viewpoints. For example I write letters to the editor, engage in debate with others, or contact political leaders to voice my opinion.

47. 3 highest citizenship items • I vote. For example I am registered and vote in campus, local, state and national elections.

48. 3 highest citizenship items • I am active in organizations related to professional and personal interests without overextending my commitments. For example I belong to professional and hobby clubs and groups.

49. 3 highest citizenship items • I empower those around me. For example I actively seek the opinions of others and assess them in contrast to my own and am able to withhold judgment of the other person

50. 3 lowest citizenship items • I know about current issues within the community. For example I know what the hot political and social issues are in my town.