Guidelines for Enhancing Civic Consciousness among Lower Secondary School Students in Mueang District, Lampang Province

Abstract

This study aimed to: 1. examine the level of opinions regarding roles, responsibilities, and the enhancement of civic consciousness; 2. compare personal factors affecting opinions toward the enhancement of civic consciousness; and 3. investigate guidelines for promoting civic consciousness among lower secondary school students in Mueang District, Lampang Province. A mixed-methods research design was employed. The quantitative phase involved 368 lower secondary school students selected using Taro Yamane’s formula. The research instrument was a questionnaire with a reliability coefficient of 0.97 and an Index of Item-Objective Congruence (IOC) of 0.99. The qualitative phase consisted of in-depth interviews with 14 key informants. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, t-test, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).

The findings revealed that: 1. the overall level of opinions regarding roles, responsibilities, and the enhancement of civic consciousness was high. The highest-rated aspect was social justice ( = 4.39), followed by civic responsibility ( = 4.32). 2. Personal factors, particularly educational level and roles and responsibilities, significantly influenced opinions toward civic consciousness enhancement at the .05 level. 3. Guidelines for promoting civic consciousness should be implemented systematically by emphasizing the cultivation of positive attitudes, values, and moral virtues; learning from role models such as teachers, parents, and community members; utilizing local contexts as learning resources; organizing practical and volunteer activities; promoting democratic activities in schools; and developing citizenship skills for the digital era.