Strengthening the Democratic Political Culture of Secondary School Students in Tha Chana District, Surat Thani Province

Abstract

This research aimed to 1) study democratic political culture among secondary school students, 2) compare democratic political culture among different groups of secondary school students, and 3) propose guidelines for enhancing democratic political culture among students in Tha Chana District, Surat Thani Province. The study employed a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative research. For the quantitative aspect, data were collected using a questionnaire administered to a sample of 333 secondary school students in Tha Chana District. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, along with one-way ANOVA. For the qualitative aspect, in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 purposively selected student council representatives from each school. The collected data were synthesized and analyzed to meet the research objectives.

The findings revealed the following: 1) Students demonstrated a 70% understanding of the basic principles of democracy, yet their application in real-life scenarios remained moderate. Participation in school activities accounted for 60%, while participation in extracurricular activities outside school was only 20%. Notably, 65% of students who received comprehensive education on democracy exhibited a deeper understanding. 2) A comparison of factors showed that female students had higher trust in the political system and more positive political attitudes than male students. Additionally, students aged 13–14 and those in lower secondary levels displayed greater trust in the political system than those aged 15–16 and in upper secondary levels. This indicates that political awareness significantly influences democratic political culture across all dimensions. 3) To enhance democratic culture, emphasis should be placed on promoting knowledge about democracy, organizing activities that encourage participation both within and outside the school, fostering an open environment for expressing opinions, and providing support from families and communities. These measures aim to cultivate democratic behaviors in students’ daily lives.