Ideology in the schools: Developing the teacher’s Civic Education Ideology Scale within the United States

Abstract

What ideological views toward citizenship education do teachers possess? Does a teacher’s Civic Education Ideology relate to how and what they teach? This study addresses these questions by developing a psychometric scale measuring teachers’ level of conservative, liberal, and critical Civic Education Ideology in one Midwestern state in the United States. After establishing the Civic Education Ideology scale, these views are compared to teachers’ reported practices inside of school and curriculum emphasized in the classroom. The findings indicate that both conservative- and liberal-oriented teachers were more likely to support curriculum based on civic institutions. In contrast, teachers with a critical orientation were less supportive of civic institutions and more likely to endorse curriculum based on social institutions and an open classroom climate. These findings indicate that a teacher’s ideology relates to their reports of how and what they teach. In addition to these findings, the goal is for the Civic Education Ideology scale to be adapted and applied in future studies to uncover important connections.