Mapping Civic Values in Sri Lankan Secondary School Civics Textbooks (Grades 6–9): A Systematic Document Analysis

Abstract

Civic education textbooks serve as primary vehicles for transmitting citizenship values to young learners, yet the specific civic values embedded in Sri Lankan secondary school curricula remain understudied. This study presents a systematic document analysis of four state-issued Civic Education textbooks for Grades 6 through 9, published by Sri Lanka's Educational Publications Department. Guided by Westheimer and Kahne's (2004) framework of citizenship orientations and Hanna's (1963) concentric circles model, the study examines: (a) which civic values are foregrounded across grades, (b) how civic complexity progresses through the curriculum, and (c) what critical gaps exist in the civic values represented. Findings reveal a coherent, progressively structured curriculum that expands civic scope from the individual and school environment (Grade 6) through family and culture (Grade 7), national democratic institutions (Grade 8), and political systems, local governance, and conflict resolution (Grade 9). Core civic values — responsibility, respect, discipline, and ethnic harmony — are consistently foregrounded, while structural political knowledge deepens in upper grades. However, the analysis identifies a persistent absence of critical civic agency, gender equality, social justice, and meaningful democratic participation skills across all four grade levels — a pattern consistent with compliance-oriented citizenship education documented in other Asian postcolonial contexts. These findings carry significant implications for curriculum revision, teacher professional development, and civic education policy in Sri Lanka and the broader South Asian region.