DOCUMENT RESUME ED 063 209 SO 002 971 TITLE Government and Political Science. A Resourcu Guide. INSTITUTION Texas Education Agency, Austin. Div. of Program Development. PUB DATE 70 NOTE 23p. EDPS PRICE MF-$0.65 HC-$3.29 DESCRIPTORS *American Government (Course); Bibliographies; *Civics; *Political Science; *Political Socialization; Resource Guides; Secondary Grades IDENT IFIERS Texas ABSTRACT This resource guide was prepared .to provide government and political science teachers with information on recent trends and developments in political science, sources of classroom materials, and a listing of professional references. It is hoped that the guide will be helpf ul to social studies supervisors, librarians, political science educators and teacher education specialists. The guide includes:1) a reprint of an article by John Patrick, "Implications of Political Socialization Research for the Reform of Civic Education", and comments by Robert E. Cleary; 2) references to political science readings for the professional; 3) a directory of relevant prcfessional organizations; 4)a briefly annotated list of paperback reading sets available for instructional purposes; and, 5) a listing of taped student materials.(Author/JLB) ".", DOVE M. LLI and POLITICAL ECI A Resource Guide 44 COMPLIANCE WITH TITLE VI CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964 .. Reviews of the local educational agency pertaining to compliance with Title VI, Civil Rights Act of 1964, will be conducted period- ically by staff reprecentatives of the Texas Education Agency. These reviews will cover at least the following policies and practi ces: 1.Enrollment and assignment of students without discrimint- tion on the ground of race, color, or nationalorigin. 2.Assignment of teachers and other staff without discrimina- tion Ca the !Found of race, color, or national origin. 3.Non-disctiminatory uee of facilities. 4.Public notice given by the local educational agency to participants and other citizens of the non-discriminatory policies and practices in effect by the local Agency. In addition to conducting reviews, Texas Education Agency staff representatives will check complaints of non-compliance made by citizens and will report their findings to.the Uni te d State s Commissioner of Education. U.S. DEPARTMENTOF HEALTH. EDUCATION &WE LFA RE OFFICE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRO. DUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVEDFROM THE PERSON ORORGANIZATION ORIG- INATING IT. POINTSOF VIEW OR OPIN- IONS STATED DONOT NECESSARILY RESOURCE GUIDE REPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICE OF EDU- CATION POSITIONOR POLICY. The resource guide has been prepared to provide government teachers with information on recent trends and developments in political science, sources of classroom materials for government classes, and a listing of professional references in political science. It is hoped that this guide will be helpfui to social studies supervisors, librarians, political science educators and teacher education special- ists interested in the instruction of government courses in the Texas schools. MATERIALS PAGE IMPLICATIONS OF POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION RESEARCH FOR THE REFORM OF CIVIC EDUCATION (Reprint) 1 POLITICAL SCIENCE READINGS 11 PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS FOR GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL SCIENCE TEACHERS 13 SOME SETS OF PAPERBACK READINGS RELATED TO GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL SCIENCE 14 TAPED PROGRAMS FOR GOVERNMENT 16 3 Implications of Political Socialization Research for the Reform of Civic Education by JOHN J. P ATRICK JOHN J. PATRICK, a member of the staQ of the High School The Impact of Formal Instruction Curriculum Center in Government, Indiana University, Upon Political Learning believes that "central to the improvement of political so- According to many curriculum guides, teachcr's cialization strategies of American schools should be a revi- sion.of current civics and government courses to bring them guides, and prefaccs in textbooks the following out- into line with current scholarship in the social and behav- comes are among the more important objectives of in- ioral sciences." Ilis article is based on an address delivered struction in civic education: to increase political at the 1968 annual meeting of the American Political Sci- knowledge and sophistication, to increase political in- ence Association, Washington-Hilton Hotel, Washington, tercst, to increase one's sense of political efficacy, to in- D.C. September 7,spa. crease desire to participate in politics, to increltse civic tolerance, and to decrease political cynicism. While RESEARCH about political socialization practices not conclusive, several research studies have indicated in American schools, the contcnt of courses, and that formal instructional programs in civic education the development of student political values and atti- have little or no impact upon political attitudes and tudes suggests several implications for the reform of values, that students are not moved very far toward at- civic education.' These implications for curriculum tainnzent of the previously stated common objectives and instructional reform can be considered in terms of of instruction. Furthermore, high school civics and the following topics: (a) impact of formal instruction government courses appear to contribute only slightly upon political learning; (b)lack of articulation be- to increased political knowledge and sophistication. These conclusions about the Impact of formal high tween course contcnt and student politicalvalues, atti- tudes, and beliefs; (c) political disabilities of the lower school instruction in civics and government, even if classes; (d) over-emphasis upon conformity in schools; highly tentative, are shocking and devastating to edu- (e) cosmopolitanism and political orientation; and cators who have long madeinflated claims about the (f) the.development of political sophistication. worth of civic education curricula. The most important study about the impact of for- 'Lewis Froman, Jr. defines political socialization as "the mal instruction in civics upon student political val- learning of politically relevant social patterns corresponding to ues,attitudes, and beliefs was done recently by societal positions as mediated through various agencies of so- Kenneth P. Langton and M. Kent Jennings.2 They re- ciety." Fred I. Greenstein says that political socialization is "all political learning, formal and informal, deliberate and un- ported that the civic education curricula of American planned, at every stage of thc life cycle..." Sec: Lewis A. Fro- man, Jr., "Personality and PoliticalSocialization," Journal of 'Kenneth P. Langton and M. Kent Jennings, "Political So- Politics 23:342, IA; and Fred I. Greenstein. "Political 'Social- cialization and the High School Civics Curriculum in the United ization," International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, New States," Ann Arbor, Michigan: The University of Michigan, York: Crowell-Collier Publishing Co.. 3965. May, 1967. (Unpublished paper.) Reprinted by Texas Education Agency with permission of NationalCouncil for the Social Studies, from SOCIALEDUCATION, Volume XXXIII, No. 1, January, 1969. 4 2 schools aPpear to have little or no influence upon are improved by taking the coursesis that new informa- of most tion is being added where relatively less existed before. the political values, attitudes, and beliefs White students enrolled in the courses appear to receive high school students. They measured the impactof nothing beyond that to which their non-enrolled cohorts civic education in terms of typical objectivesof in- are being exposed. This, coupled withthc great lead struction, such as increasing student political inter- which whitcs, in general, already have over Negro stu- est, sense of political efficacy, civictolerance, and de- dents, makes for greater redundancy among whites than sire to participate in politics. Using a national Fob- Negroes.5 ability sample of 1,66g twelfth-grade students from Thus, most culturally disadvantaged Negro stu- 1)7 secondary schools, Langton and Jennings com- dents find some new political information and in- eared students who had taken courses in civics and/or sights in their civics and government courses. By con- government with students who had not takenthese trast, most white students find thattheir civics and courses. Langton and Jennings found thatthe impact government courses offer much informationthat al- of the curriculum was very slight. Students who had ready has been presented to them either through a taken one or more courses in civics and/or govern- previous social studies course or through some out- ment. tended to show only slightly morepolitical of-school experience. interest, sense of political efficacy, civic tolerance, Several other studies indicate little or no associa- and desire to participate in politics than those who tion between formal instruction and the develop- had not taken these courses. "Thus, the claims made ment of political attitudes, values, and beliefs. Roy for the importance of the civic education courses in E. Horton, Jr. reports that formal courses in civics the senior high school ine indicated if one only con- have no effect in shaping favorable attitudes toward siders the direction of the results. However, it is per- the Bill of Rights." At the college level, Marvin fectly obvious from the size of the correlations that Schick and Albert Somit investigated the assumption the magnitude of the relationship is extremelyweak, that greater knowledge of politics leads to greater po- in most cases bordering on the trivial."3 litical interest