Exploring High School Students’ Individual Political Culture in the Context of Digital Transformation

Political culture plays an important role in students’ socialization and preparation for civic life. In the context of digital transformation, adolescents increasingly encounter political information through online platforms, which creates new opportunities for civic learning but also raises concerns about fragmented understanding and uncritical information consumption. This study examines high school students’ individual political culture by exploring their understanding of political culture, the rule of law and civil society, their sources of political information they report and their perceptions of the influence of these sources, and their views on the importance of civic and political participation in society. A qualitative content analysis was conducted between September and December 2025 with 960 high school students from five cities in Kazakhstan. Data were collected through four open-ended questionnaire questions and analysed using inductive qualitative content analysis, followed by descriptive frequency analysis of semantic units, codes, and categories. The findings indicate that students predominantly conceptualised political culture in cognitive-evaluative and attitudinal terms, while their understanding of the rule of law and civil society was mainly expressed through legal foundations and norms. Digital and online media were the most frequently reported sources of political information, while family, traditional media, and educational resources were mentioned less frequently. Students generally recognised the importance of civic participation, particularly for democratic development, social integration, and influence on public decision-making. The findings highlight the need to strengthen media literacy, critical evaluation of political information, and practice-oriented civic education within digitally transformed educational environments.