Evaluating Practices for Teaching Civics Education in Adult ESL Classrooms

Research has found that there is a strong relationship between civics education and civic engagement. Effective civics education instruction in adult ESL program not only teaches English language learners about the workings of the social and political institutions in the United States, but it also emphasizes the importance of community and civic engagement. However, there are no existing instructional standards for teaching civics education in adult ESL programs. This prompts the following research questions: Are adult ESL programs in North Carolina using effective practices for teaching civics education? How might these practices be improved? To answer the research questions, data from seven federally funded adult ESL programs were collected and used to determine if these programs are using practices based in research. After analyzing the data, policy recommendations suggest the creation of instructional standards that can improve civics education instruction in these programs.Bachelor of Art