A Study of Learning Achievement in Life Skills and Brain Competency of Educational Personnel in the University: A Meditation Practice Project in the Buddhist Holy Land of Thailand, India, and Nepal

-

บทคัดย่อ

This research aims to 1) examine the learning achievement in life skills of educational personnel participating in the Meditation Practice Project in the Buddhist Holy Lands of India, Nepal, and Thailand; 2) evaluate cognitive competence development; and 3) explore the relationship between meditation practice, life skills learning, and cognitive competence among the project participants. This study is a mixed-methods research, integrating both qualitative and quantitative approaches.The research instruments included questionnaires and in-depth interviews. The sample group consisted of 120 educational personnel selected through purposive sampling. Quantitative data from the questionnaires were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including percentages, means, standard deviations, and inferential statistics such as paired-samples t-test, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analysis. Qualitative data collected from in-depth interviews were analyzed using content analysis. The findings revealed that learning achievement in life skills was at a high level across all dimensions, with post-program scores significantly higher than pre-program scores (Effectiveness Index = 71.88%). Cognitive competence was also found to be high in all studied areas. A strong positive correlation was identified between overall life skills learning and overall cognitive competence  (r = 0.743, p < .01). Multiple regression analysis further indicated that adaptability to change, self-awareness, interpersonal relationships, and virtue and ethics in daily life were significant positive predictors of cognitive competence.