Sources of Internal Political Efficacy in the Social Studies Classroom

A Qualitative Investigation of Norwegian Lower Secondary Students’ Perceptions

Abstract

This article explores lower secondary students’ perceptions of how their experiences in the social studies classroom might affect their sense of internal political efficacy (IPE). The qualitative data underlying the research are group interviews with 13- and 14-year-old Norwegian students, which were analyzed using a constant-comparative method. The students’ responses indicate that there are three obstacles to IPE facing the students in the social studies classroom: (1) the reactions of their peers in political discussions, (2) the perception that adolescents are not respected due to their young age, and (3) a view of opinions as fixed and hence unchangeable. The possible solutions given by the students are to work to enhance the level of respect and support that they experience in the classroom, to practice politics through carefully structured discussions, and to work in smaller groups. In analyzing the findings, Albert Bandura’s theory of how efficacy develops as a consequence of experiences in a person’s environment has been useful. The article also draws on Gert Biesta’s framework, describing how one central aim of education is to enable students to function as subjects in a world that brings both possibilities and limitations to their preferred actions. The main implication is that the social studies teacher should aim for critical analysis and raising awareness of different perspectives instead of focusing solely on the students' personal opinions.