Education and Political Socialization at the Secondary School Level: Developing Democratic Citizens

This study examines education and political socialization at the secondary school level with a focus on developing democratic citizens. It explores how secondary education contributes to students’ political awareness, civic engagement, and democratic values in District Rawalpindi. The objectives of the study were to examine the role of secondary education in political socialization, to analyze its impact on the development of democratic values and civic participation, and to compare public and private secondary schools in fostering democratic citizenship. A quantitative, descriptive, and comparative research design was adopted under the positivist paradigm. The population consisted of approximately 320 secondary schools in District Rawalpindi with an estimated 8,500 respondents including students and teachers. A sample of 20 schools (10 public and 10 private) was selected using stratified random sampling technique, and 400 respondents (300 students and 100 teachers) were included in the study. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire based on a five-point Likert scale measuring political awareness, civic values, and democratic participation. The validity of the research tool was ensured through expert review, while reliability was confirmed through a pilot study yielding a Cronbach’s Alpha value of 0.84, indicating strong internal consistency. Data were analyzed using SPSS through descriptive and inferential statistics including mean, standard deviation, t-test, and ANOVA. The findings related to the first objective revealed that secondary education significantly enhances political socialization by improving students’ political awareness and understanding of civic rights and responsibilities. Based on this finding, it is recommended that schools should strengthen citizenship education programs and incorporate interactive teaching strategies such as debates and classroom discussions to further enhance students’ political awareness. The significance of the study lies in its contribution to understanding the role of secondary education in shaping democratic citizens and providing empirical evidence for policymakers, educators, and curriculum developers to improve civic education and promote democratic participation among youth in Pakistan.