Abstract

The impact of education on fostering the development of human capital and molding sociopolitical attitudes from an early age is a well-explored topic in the field of social sciences. This dissertation takes a broader approach by delving into the consequences of two critical components of the education system: (1) the language used for instruction, and (2) citizenship education. To accomplish this, I employ a combination of observational and experimental research methods to disentangle the causal effects of these educational factors within the contexts of Malaysia and Singapore. Chapter 2 delves into the ramifications of adopting a non-native language of instruction on students’ educational outcomes, specifically examining the consequences of a language reform in Malaysia. In Chapter 3, I investigate the impact of the same language reform in Malaysia and how bilingual instruction might alleviate ethnic discrimination against outgroups by encouraging perspective-taking. The final chapter explores the influence of citizenship education on promoting ethnic tolerance through a cross-national analysis and a case study of a citizenship education reform in Singapore.

Committee Chair

Margit Tavits

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Author's Department

Political Science

Author's School

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Document Type

Dissertation

Date of Award

4-18-2024

Language

English (en)

Author's ORCID

0000-0003-1443-6270

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