Agents of Change: Exploring How Social Studies Promotes Civic Engagement among Senior High School Students

Abstract

Social Studies is central to fostering the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required for active citizenship. However, little is known about how its pedagogy in Philippine secondary schools explicitly cultivates civic engagement. This qualitative case study examined how teaching strategies in Social Studies fosters civic participation among senior high school students in three public schools in Tangub City, Misamis Occidental. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with ten Grade 11 and 12 students selected via purposive sampling and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis. Findings yielded five interrelated themes: 1) community-immersive strategies as pathways to civic awareness, which included community-based projects and community drives and clean-up volunteering; 2) collaborative and interactive activities for civic competency, which highlighted group work and discussions, role playing, debated, and project-based learning; 3) reflective and expressive tools that amplify student voice, which incorporated open sharing of opinions, reflection paper,  infographics and poster-making, and inspirational videos; 4) social studies as a foundation for developing empathy and social accountability, which encompassed empathy as a civic disposition and internalization of civic values; and 5) social studies as a catalyst for critical awareness and active civic participation, which emphasized fostering political and social awareness, promoting critical thinking for civic action, and encouraging community engagement and participation. In essence, this study contributes to the limited body of research on context-specific civic education in the Philippines, offering empirical insights into how experiential, reflective, and participatory approaches can bridge the gap between civic knowledge and active engagement. The findings carry significant implications for curriculum design, advocating the integration of community-based learning, collaborative pedagogies, and structured reflection into Social Studies programs to produce informed, empathetic, and socially responsible citizens.