Civic Consciousness and Engagement of College Students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22011648Keywords:
civic consciousness, civic engagement, college students, civic education, service-learning, civic voluntarismAbstract
This study determined the level of civic consciousness and civic engagement of college students in Kalibo, Aklan, and examined the relationship between the two constructs during School Year 2025-2026. A survey-correlational design was employed involving 374 college students selected through stratified random sampling from seven higher education institutions with a combined population of 13,250 students. Data were gathered using an adopted and modified 20-item Civic Consciousness Questionnaire and a 28-item Civic Engagement Questionnaire. The instruments were pilot-tested, yielding Cronbach's alpha coefficients of .909 and .739, respectively. Mean and standard deviation were used to describe the variables, while Pearson's product-moment correlation was used to test their relationship at the .05 level of significance. Results showed that students had a Very High level of civic consciousness (M = 4.25, SD = 0.49) and a high level of civic engagement (M = 3.97, SD = 0.58). Civic consciousness and civic engagement were strongly and positively related (r = .759, p < .001), indicating that students who were more aware of their civic roles, responsibilities, and social concerns also tended to report greater participation in community and civic activities. The findings support the Civic Voluntarism perspective that psychological engagement and civic resources are associated with participation. The study highlights the importance of sustaining civic education, service-learning, leadership development, community partnerships, and opportunities for meaningful student participation in higher education.
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