Problem Solving Experiences of Thai Undergraduate Students within the Context of Buddhist Teachings
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Problem solving has been widely studied, but the knowledge which plays a key role in both problematic situations and psychological suffering remains understudied. The present study aimed to explore the experience of Thai undergraduate students in employing problem solving within the context of Buddhist teachings. This study used purposive sampling to examine the problem-solving experience of 15 Thai undergraduate students. All respondents were aged between 21-23 years (M = 21.60, SD = 0.63) and were recruited from all four regions of Thailand; 53.33% were females, and 46.67% were males. A qualitative approach was employed. The data were collected by in-depth interviews and analyzed using descriptive thematic analysis. The emerging themes included: 1) recognize problems and psychological suffering; 2) identify the causes of problems and psychological suffering; 3) deal with problems and psychological suffering, and 4) witness the alleviation of suffering. Findings highlight the benefits of problem solving that address both psychological suffering and problematic situations. An examination of problem-solving, particularly within the framework of Buddhist teachings, could be beneficial in the Thai context as an alternative and complementary framework for problem-solving.
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