Fitzgerald Co-Authors National Study on Action Civics and Adolescent Well-Being

Jason Fitzgerald, Ph.D., associate professor of curriculum and instruction at Monmouth University, has co-authored a new peer-reviewed study examining how classroom-based civic engagement programs influence adolescent well-being. The article, "The I-ACTED Study (Investigating Action Civics Training Through an Experimental Design): A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial of a School-Based Action Civics Education Intervention on Adolescent Well-Being," appears in the journal BMC Public Health.

The research team, led by Parissa J. Ballard of Wake Forest University and Alison K. Cohen of the University of California, San Francisco, includes collaborators from Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University and the University of California, Riverside. Fitzgerald served as a co-investigator and adviser on study design and implementation, drawing on his expertise in civic learning and teacher education.

The I-ACTED study uses a cluster-randomized controlled trial involving middle- and high-school classrooms across the United States to test whether "action civics" instruction (an experiential, student-centered instructional model in which young people identify and act on real-world issues) can improve measures of civic readiness and prosocial behavior. Researchers expect to collect data from about 1,500 students and will assess outcomes related to community connection, mental and physical health, and civic participation.

"Many students care deeply about the problems facing their communities, but schools don't always provide structured opportunities to turn that concern into informed action," Fitzgerald said. "This project helps us understand how authentic civic participation, especially when guided by thoughtful teaching, can strengthen young people's sense of purpose, belonging and well-being."

Fitzgerald's broader scholarship examines how educators prepare students to engage constructively in democracy and how teacher preparation programs foster inclusive, justice-oriented classrooms. He has published widely on civic education pedagogy, curriculum development and the civic dimensions of teaching.

The new study builds on earlier findings suggesting that civic engagement during adolescence supports long-term social and mental health benefits. By applying rigorous experimental methods rarely used in civic education research, the team hopes to generate evidence that can inform national efforts to expand equitable access to high-quality civics instruction.

The project received funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Evidence for Action program.

The full article is available at https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-025-24838-y.