Abstract:
This paper sought to examine the different effects of selected background factors on several civic
outcomes. To examine the relationship between these variables, the study compared the mean of
the dependent variables with two or more groups of independent variables using an independentsample t-test and a one-way ANOVA. In this regard, previous studies illuminated the effect of
the background variables on students' civic outcomes. Nevertheless, these studies were mostly
conducted in western communities. As such, it is important to note that, civic studies and the
demographic effects in lesser developed countries, especially those that experienced social unrest
and conflict, are minimal to non-existent. The present study was conducted in Somalia, which is
considered to be the most violently divided country that has experienced the most prolonged
state failure in the modern world. The civic outcomes for this study were measured using good
citizenship, national identity, and civic participation. At the same time, the background variables
were gender, age, students' educational aspirations, and the parental level of education. Of the
four independent variables, the study found that students' expected level of education was the
only variable that demonstrated an influence on two civic results, namely, good citizenship and
national identity. In contrast with the literature, a difference did not exist among the groups of
other independent variables. Thus, this implies the impact of location on the results of the
studies. In addition to this, it is worth noting that the limited variables of civic outcomes, as well
as demographic variables, may have impacted the conclusions reached by the study. Therefore,
further investigations are encouraged to reconcile these results with the literature |
