Quasi-experimental panel study testing the effects of a Dutch on-site citizenship education program on democratic engagement

The hypothesized causal effects of on-site citizenship programs are tested by comparing the democratic engagement of students that did and did not yet participate in the main Dutch on-site citizenship program. The quasi-experimental data consists of four waves among 585 students in thirty classes and three schools, and allows for controlling for pre-test sensitization and time period by means of a Solomon four group design.

The results show that the high expectations of on-site citizenship education need to be tempered: the main Dutch on-site citizenship program has a robust and lasting effect on political knowledge, but not on political attitudes and behaviors. Moreover, the program generally does not reduce pre-existing inequalities.