Australian students' civic attitudes as indicators of support for social capital : learning outcomes for the future

This study draws on data from the IEA Civic Education Study to provide a secondary analysis of selected latent dimensions identified for their potential to demonstrate the extent to which Australian students' civic attitudes support the development of social capital. Four latent dimensions are examined using item-by-score maps and Australian students' item frequencies. This methodology is able to show empirically the level of endorsement of the items that make up the latent dimensions considered to be important for the development of social capital. In general, Australian students have positive attitudes towards conditions supporting social capital formation but significant gender differences are identified for two of the latent dimensions. At the same time, the study also identifies a minority of students who have negative attitudes towards conditions supporting social capital. The implications of these results for civic education are discussed, including the use of single sex classes where different emphases can be highlighted to meet specific gender needs.