The Impact of Deliberation Lessons on Students’ Self-Efficacy Concerning Civic Skills of Deliberation and Civil Discourse

This action research study explores the impact of Street Law's deliberation lessons on the self-efficacy of students participating in the We the People: the Citizen and the Constitution program (WTP). This study takes place at an Arizona high school and is grounded in cooperative learning theory, constructivist theory and self-efficacy theory. A sequential Quantitative → Qualitative MMAR study was used to have qualitative findings complement the quantitative analysis by offering a deeper understanding of the indicated changes in self-efficacy. Pre- and post-surveys served as the quantitative data while focus group interviews, student work samples, and open response questions provided qualitative data. The WTP students participated in four deliberation lessons designed by Street Law. These lessons were implemented to assess whether they could enhance students' confidence and skills in engaging in deliberative processes and civil discourse. The results of the study indicate a significant increase in students' confidence in deliberation and civil discourse following the implementation of the deliberation lessons (p=0.0326). This finding suggests that incorporating structured deliberation activities can effectively enhance students' self-efficacy in engaging in meaningful discussions and participating in civil discourse. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on civic education and civic skills by demonstrating the effectiveness of using deliberation lessons to increase students’ confidence in deliberation and civil discourse. The findings of this study underscore the value of providing students with opportunities to learn, practice, and develop the civic skills necessary to engage in American democracy as informed and participatory citizens.