THE DEVELOPING AN INTEGRATED BUDDHIST PSYCHOLOGY CURRICULUM TO PREVENT DEPRESSION FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, THE SECONDARY EDUCATIONAL SERVICE AREA OFFICE KHON KAEN

Abstract

This research aimed to 1) Investigate the problems and guidelines for developing an integrated Buddhist psychology curriculum for depression prevention among upper secondary school students, 2) Develop the curriculum, 3) Pilot-test the curriculum, and 4) Evaluate and improve the curriculum. A research and development design was conducted in four phases. Phase 1 examined problem conditions using data from 757 teachers and students and a focus group with nine experts. Phase 2 developed the curriculum and assessed its appropriateness through five experts. Phase 3 pilot-tested the curriculum with 50 student volunteers using a one-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design. Phase 4 evaluated and improved the curriculum based on participant and expert feedback. The sample included 363 teachers and 394 students in Phase 1, while Phase 4 involved 50 participants and five experts in the final overall evaluation process. The research instruments included a problem-condition questionnaire, the CES-D depression screening scale, a semi-structured focus group questionnaire, a knowledge test, a satisfaction questionnaire, and a curriculum quality evaluation form. Data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, paired-samples t-test, and content analysis. The findings revealed that 1) 107 students, representing 27.16%, exhibited a tendency toward depression. The overall problem condition was at a high level, and the experts recommended integrating Buddhist psychology principles with active learning activities. 2) The developed curriculum consisted of five components: principles, objectives, content structure, training activities, and measurement and evaluation. The experts rated the curriculum’s appropriateness at the highest level. 3) The curriculum implementation results showed that 3.1) The students’ post-test knowledge scores were significantly higher than their pre-test scores at the .001 level; 3.2) The number of students exhibiting a tendency toward depression decreased from 26 students, or 52.00%, to eight students, or 16.00%; and 3.3) The students’ satisfaction with the curriculum was at the highest level. and 4) Both the participants and experts rated the overall curriculum quality at the highest level in both groups. These findings demonstrate that the developed curriculum was appropriate for supporting learning and preventing depression among upper secondary school students through the integration of Buddhist psychology principles and active learning.