Understanding Meaning and Characteristics of Civic Development in Higher Education

Abstract

Higher education is a central part of youth life, and its job is to prepare young people to engage in civil society. It is also important in constructing competencies and helping young people to develop a civic identity. Thus, the aim of this study is to explore the meaning and characteristics of civic development among students in the higher education system. A qualitative study using a semi-structural interview is conducted to collect data from 12 international postgraduates of Universiti Putra Malaysia, and the data establishes that three distinct but connected themes-that is, civic knowledge, tendency, and engagement-are key aspects of civic development. The findings relating to these three themes underline the requirements for a civically engaged youth. The findings suggest that policy makers should redesign civic programs based on suitable methods by which to educate students in formal and informal manners.

The Impacts of College Students’ Civic Responsibility on Civic Engagement via Online Technology: The Mediations of Civic Learning and Civic Expression

“…OCR: assessing attitudes on the extent to which college students have responsibility for using online technology to understand the disadvantaged situation of social minorities and helping disadvantaged groups to solve their social problems. The latent construct and observed variables for satisfaction were based on and derived from Ahrari et al (2014), Bresinger et al (2014), and Rafique et al (2016).…”

“…Civic responsibility has been referred to as the democratic ideas, beliefs, and attitudes required for being a good citizen. It also means the social duties to involve people and engage in resolving their disadvantaged statuses (Ahrari et al, 2014; Zhao et al, 2017). Citizens have perceptions about social responsibility for helping those people in need or working for worthy causes.…”