Study on the Attitude and Knowledge of Youth towards Election through the Lens of Election Advocacy in Pakistan – An Experimental Approach

Abstract

The current study evaluates the general trend of youth towards election (11 May 2013 election) through the lens of their knowledge and attitude towards election advocacy. The study adopts experimental approach to find, how training impact knowledge and attitude of youth. The treatment group also received 45 minutes of training related to election before post test was conducted with mock election demo to share practical knowledge related to concepts, procedures and application of election. The population for the study consists of all the students studying at secondary to higher secondary level in Sindh, Pakistan. The total sample size for this study n=200 is selected through random sampling. The tool was developed and passed for internal consistency. The results disclose that training does play a crucial role in enhancing knowledge and shaping attitude towards democratic process. Before training, there was a lack of positive attitude and lack of knowledge towards election, however, after the training and mock elections, youth gained insight knowledge which helped them to adopt positive attitude. The study suggests inclusion of topics related to need, importance and trust in election procedure of democracy. The study also suggests holding mock elections in all the provinces to give practical training to the youth for shaping their attitude towards election and its process to lead them towards democracy. The study also suggests developing trust in the election process related to transparency through the inclusion of such topics in the curriculum.