CHARACTER-BASED CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION FOR ALPHA GENERATION CHILDREN

Abstract

Children of Generation Alpha, born from 2010 onwards, grow up in a complex digital ecosystem, making them vulnerable to a degradation of national character values and a weak sense of civic awareness from an early age; meanwhile, Civic Education (PKn) in Early Childhood Education (PAUD) settings has not yet been fully designed to respond to the unique characteristics of this generation. This study aims to analyze the implementation of character-based Civic Education as an effort to instill national values and foster good citizenship character in Generation Alpha children within PAUD settings. The study employs a qualitative approach using a literature review design, with data collected from fifteen nationally accredited journal articles published between 2023 and 2026 and subsequently analyzed using content analysis techniques. The findings indicate that integrating character values into Civic Education—through role-playing, habituation, and modeling—effectively enhances social awareness and national values in young children; notably, 85% of the literature confirms that character-based approaches tailored to Generation Alpha’s visual-interactive learning style positively impact the development of prosocial attitudes and a sense of patriotism. Thus, character-based Civic Education that is contextual and adaptive to the characteristics of Generation Alpha holds significant potential for establishing a strong foundation of national character from an early age.