Development of Students’ Ethics and Morality in Elementary Schools in Northeastern Thailand by Applying Buddhism’s Four Noble Truths to Their Ethical Project Learning

Abstract

             The research served specific purposes: 1) to study states of holding pupils’ ethical and moral activities in primary schools in Thailand’s northeastern region, 2) to construct and develop a practical manual as the project work based on applying Four Noble Truths (Ariyasacca) to their ethical and moral activity, 3) to pursue results of developing their activity with the constructed manual, 4) to examine outcomes of the said manual. Simple random sampling groups comprised 329 teachers of ethical and moral tasks. Another volunteer group attending a provided training to try out the manual were 18 teachers from six schools. Research devices were: 1) the questionnaire, 2) IOC-based assessment, 3) knowledge testing, 4) preference form, 5) the supervision form, 6) the evaluation form on assessment standards, and 7) the aforesaid manual. 

             Research findings: 1) States of holding their ethical and moral activity have been overall rated as moderate. Schools lack supportive factors of the activity manual, and the reading supplementary; they should encourage students to observe principles on ethics and morality, and assess outcomes of holding their activity. 2) The project work-related practical manual is constructed through the focus groups, assessment of IOC, and try-out. 3) Students’ posttest average points are comparatively higher than the pretest, with the statistical significance at .05. The practical manual has had its effectiveness index at 0.602. Trained applicants are most satisfied with the training course. According to supervision and try-out, their knowledge and experiences from the designed activity have been brought into uses in schools at the highest. 4) As scrutinized, the constructed manual has overall shown ‘the most appropriate’.