Sociopolitical efficacy as a mediator of pedagogical experience and sociopolitical involvement

Abstract

Discourse on youth development has only begun to explore how Black youth experience courses intended to result in their sociopolitical development. The present study examined the link between pedagogical experience in a culturally relevant class and sociopolitical involvement and tested the mediating role of sociopolitical efficacy. Cross-sectional data were collected from 278 Black, former students of a mandatory high school course, called Social Justice. Pedagogical experience, sociopolitical efficacy and sociopolitical involvement were all measured as latent variables. As anticipated, structural equation modeling showed that pedagogical experience is associated with sociopolitical involvement, and that sociopolitical efficacy mediates this relationship. Ultimately, the current study shows the merit of giving Black youth the opportunity to learn how to respond to social and personal unjustness, and the paramountcy of improving youth’s perception of their ability to make a difference in their communities. Findings highlight the role of sociopolitical efficacy and support the idea that student experience has implications for whether culturally relevant teachers meet their intended goals. In the case of the present study, many years after the course, there is a relationship between their perceptions of their course experiences and their intention to engage productively in their communities.