Political Literacy in Thailand’s Pre-Primary and Primary Education Curricula in the Digital Age

Abstract

Political literacy has gained paramount importance in the digital era, as young learners require not only civic virtues but also the capacity to critically engage with mediated information. This study analyzes the integration of political literacy within Thailand's pre-primary and primary education curricula, incorporating insights from educators and academic experts to guide curriculum enhancement. The study employed a qualitative design, integrating document analysis of the Early Childhood Education Curriculum B.E. 2560 (2017) and the Basic Education Core Curriculum B.E. 2551 (2008), interviews with 24 educators in Northern Thailand, and a focus group of six academic experts. The analysis was informed by four elements of political literacy: political knowledge, political skills, political attitudes, and competencies relevant to the digital age. Research indicates that political literacy predominantly manifests in implicit forms via moral development, social responsibility, and democratic coexistence, whereas explicit political knowledge, critical political skills, and competencies pertinent to the digital age are notably deficient, particularly in areas such as source evaluation, misinformation detection, digital verification, and awareness of AI- and algorithm-driven information contexts. The study emphasizes the necessity for a clearer and developmentally suitable curriculum design and adds to the sparse scholarship on political literacy in preprimary and primary education, especially in Northern Thailand.