The IEA Civic Education Study is the largest and most rigorous study of civic education ever conducted internationally. This research tested and surveyed nationally representative samples consisting of 90,000 14-year-old students in 28 countries, and 50,000 17- to 19-year-old students in 16 countries throughout 1999 and 2000. Questionnaires were also administered to teachers and school principals. The content domains covered in the instrument were identified through national case studies during 1996-1997 and included democracy, national identity, and social cohesion and diversity. The engagement of youth in civil society was also a focus.

Two major reports on the survey data were issued by IEA (the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement) in 2001 and 2002. These reports can be found under Publications, along with their executive summaries. Two other IEA publications (from the case study phase), a number of national reports, and publications of secondary analysis are also available there. Instructions for obtaining copies of the CD-ROM of international data and the technical report are included. The students' instrument (portions of the test and all of the attitudinal and behavioral survey) and the teachers' and headmaster/principals' instrument can be found under The Study.

The IEA Civic Education Study was a cooperative effort involving IEA (its Headquarters in Amsterdam and national research institutes in the participating countries), the Humboldt University of Berlin (the International Coordinating Center), and the International Steering Committee. The closing date for the International Coordinating Center is December 31, 2003. See also under Funding Support.

The Center for the IEA Civic Education Study, in the Department of Human Development at the University of Maryland at College Park, has supported the work of the International Steering Committee and its Chair since 1994. Its continuing mission is to promote the dissemination of findings and advance research on civic knowledge and engagement based on the study. A small group of faculty and doctoral students at the University of Maryland is continuing to conduct analysis, prepare publications and make presentations to a variety of national and international audiences, provide workshops on evaluation methods for civic education programs, and assist in making this massive data set accessible for secondary analysis.

CEDARS (Civic Education Data And Researcher Services) will be funded for one year beginning mid-2004 by a small grant from CIRCLE (the Center for Research on Civic Learning and Engagement). This continuing work at the University of Maryland is aimed at supporting groups seeking to utilize education as a way to strengthen democracy (especially in Eastern Europe and Latin America); educators, policy analysts, and university faculty seeking cross-national data about civic engagement or adolescents' social and political attitudes; and graduate students in psychology, education, political science, communications, and public policy.

Web design and programming by Gabriella Tulchinskaya and Vladimir Pavlov (2001); Web update by Gary Homana, Jeff Greene, and Carolyn Henry Barber (2003).