When civic knowledge matters but is not enough: The role of classroom climate and citizenship self-efficacy on different facets of civic engagement.

This study examines how adolescents' citizenship self-efficacy mediates the relationship between civic knowledge, classroom climate, and civic engagement among Chilean eighth-grade students. Using data from 4,838 students in the 2009 International Civic and Citizenship Study (ICCS), the research finds that civic knowledge positively predicts formal participation (e.g., voting or school decision-making) but negatively relates to civil participation (e.g., volunteering), while an open, democratic classroom climate enhances both forms of participation. Citizenship self-efficacy—students' confidence in their ability to engage civically—mediates the effect of classroom climate but not civic knowledge on participation, highlighting the importance of practicing citizenship skills in supportive school environments. The findings suggest that fostering democratic classroom climates and citizenship self-efficacy may be crucial for promoting youth civic engagement, especially in contexts of social inequality like Chile.