The Model of Educational Management to Promote Learning of Pali Language[1] at Mahamakut Buddhist University Lanna Campus, Thailand

Phramaha Wiset Sorphobdee¹, Phrakrusamu Thanachot Khurnphech², Benjawan Chaiya³,

Nareerat Khruangao⁴

^1,2,3,4 Mahamakut Buddhist University; Lanna Campus, Thailand

BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE

The Buddha’s teachings have been preserved and passed down in the form of Pali as well as studied and translated into native languages in various countries. Sometimes, there may be a mistranslation, and the meanings may vary and may not correspond to reality. As a language that has preserved the Buddha’s teachings, it is necessary to learn Pali to understand and implement it at the same time. Like the blood in the body, the blood of Buddhism is Pali. If the body lacks blood, there is a problem with blood or a bloodstream infection, making it difficult for this body to live normally. If Buddhism lacks or does not know Pali, it is difficult for Buddhism to survive. Therefore, a lifelong learning of Pali without discouragement or burnout is essential. It is also important to learn Pali in accordance with the aims of Buddhism and to gain access to the benefits that one should receive from Buddhism by practicing oneself (Tharendecha L., 2016, P.4). This is consistent with the educational management of Mahamakut Buddhist University, which has set the curriculum to have subjects related to Pali, such as the Bachelor of Religious Studies in Buddhist Studies (2016). Pali is in the subject of Pali for Buddhism Research under the specific subject category, the Buddhism subject group, and the Faculty of Religion and Philosophy. This subject involves grammar, basic reading and translation, use of Pali in Thai, Pali and Buddhism, Buddhist scriptures in Pali, and practices of researching short or abbreviated Buddhist texts from the Pali documents (Mahamakut Buddhist University, 2016, p.29).

After the Bachelor of Education Program was updated (2020), Pali has been placed in the subject of Pali and Sanskrit for Buddhism Research under the specific subject category, the Buddhism subject group, and the Faculty of Education, and taught for all majors and faculties. This subject involves grammar, reading and translation, use of Pali and Sanskrit in Thai, important Pali and Sanskrit scriptures of Buddhism, and practices of analyzing short Buddhist texts from the Pali and Sanskrit documents (Mahamakut Buddhist University, 2020, P.64). It has set guidelines for improving learning outcomes for students to be disciplined, honest, and responsible for themselves and society and to have knowledge and understanding of important principles and theories of Buddhism. Moral and ethical activities have been inserted in some subjects, including supplementary activities for moral and ethical development. There are a variety of teaching forms, such as lectures, discussions, presentations, learning activities, self-studies, report writings, practical trainings, internships, and individual and group work practices (Mahamakut Buddhist University, 2020, P.109-112).

From the aforementioned reason, the research team found that Pali has a great influence on Thai, and, especially, Thai has adopted a lot of Pali words. Studying Thai well needs to understand it well until the end of doubts, which is greatly beneficial to the study of Thai. Direct Pali learning is also important for monks and novices in Buddhist countries. Even at the top universities, there is a major in Pali. Therefore, children who study Pali should be proud that they have studied the language of the Buddha and the language that has recorded the teachings of Buddhism. This is consistent with Mahamakut Buddhist University, which has organized the Pali education by defining the aims, methods of study, subject contents, duration of study, and measurement and evaluation. There is a model of educational management to promote learning outcomes on morality, ethics, knowledge, intellectual, interpersonal, and numerical analysis skills, and communication and information technology, including the situation of Pali educational management at Mahamakut Buddhist University Lanna Campus.

OBJECTIVES

1. To investigate the model of educational management to promote learning of Pali at Mahamakut Buddhist University;
2. To investigate the model of educational management to promote learning of Pali at Mahamakut Buddhist University Lanna Campus; and
3. To investigate the effect of using the model of educational management to promote learning of Pali at Mahamakut Buddhist University Lanna Campus.

METHODOLOGY

This research was qualitative research with the following methodology:

1) Data were collected through documentary research in the Faculty of Religion and Philosophy in Buddhism for Development and Buddhism and Philosophy, the Faculty of Education in Thai Teaching, English Teaching, and Social Studies Teaching, the Faculty of Social Sciences in Governance, and the Faculty of Humanities in English, including other documents; and

2) Data were collected through in-depth interviews from individuals involved in the model of educational management to promote learning of Pali at Mahamakut Buddhist University Lanna Campus located in Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai Province.

The target group consisted of 1) six lecturers of bachelor’s degree program, 2) one lecturer of master’s degree program, 3) one lecturer of doctor’s degree program, and 4) three lecturers responsible for Pali subjects, a total of eleven people, who were chosen by purposive sampling.

Data were collected by using a structured interview form and then analyzed and processed. The results of data analysis were also presented.

RESULTS

1. The model of educational management to promote learning of Pali at Mahamakut Buddhist University was in accordance with the course manual. The Bachelor of Arts Program aims at providing students with knowledge and understanding of key principles and theories in the majors, awareness of studying the customs, rules, and regulations that change according to the situation, and ability to find, interpret, and evaluate information to develop knowledge and solutions to professional problems creatively.

The Bachelor of Education Program aims at providing students with doctrines in life, knowledge and understanding of principles, theories, and contents, and awareness of value of art, language, and culture of Thailand and the international community, including intellectual skills to seek ways to work and live happily and creatively.

The Master of Arts Program aims at providing students with ability to develop quality personnel with morals and ethics to serve society in all fields based on the Buddhist principles and philosophy as well as to develop innovation or new knowledge, insightful understanding of core knowledge in Buddhism and philosophy as well as principles and concepts as foundations of life, and ability to use wisdom to consider the reality of what is experienced and to solve problems with a lack of adherence, develop creative interactions in group activities, demonstrate the distinction of being a spiritual leader, and use Internet media and modern technology to propagate and disseminate Buddhism to the society thoroughly.

The Doctor of Philosophy Program aims at providing students with awareness of true value of morality and ethics as well as benefits that come from learning, knowledge in various dimensions of Buddhism and philosophical concepts, and ability to present  research papers for organizational development in an appropriate way, compromise ideas by looking at the good points that exist for mutual benefits, analyze, interpret, and screen mathematical data and statistics in the study and research of problems and conclusions, and suggest solutions to problems in various fields based on the principles of Buddhism and philosophy.

The aim of the these programs is important for educational management to promote learning to enable teachers to clearly define the teaching contents in the subjects. It is like a teaching tool or map and is important to student development so that they have a working model and the teachers have directions in teaching to meet the subject objectives.

2. The model of educational management to promote learning of Pali at Mahamakut Buddhist University Lanna Campus was in accordance with the lesson plan. The Bachelor of Arts Program aims at providing students with knowledge and ability to explain basic Pali grammar, write and read Pali using Thai characters, read basic Pali version of the Buddhist scriptures, translate Pali sentences into Thai, and describe and apply the Pali characteristics in Thai.

The Bachelor of Education Program aims at providing students with knowledge and ability to explain origin of Sanskrit and ability to write and read Sanskrit alphabets, classify and describe Sanskrit speeches, compose simple sentences from Sanskrit syntax, and understand influence of Sanskrit on Thai and Mahayana Buddhism.

The Master of Arts Program aims at providing students with knowledge and ability to explain importance and principles of Pali grammar, understanding of basic translation principles, and ability to translate and explain simple Pali sentences in the Dharma.

The Doctor of Philosophy Program aims, after studying Pali and English for the study of Buddhism and philosophy, at providing students with knowledge and ability to explain main concepts of Pali and English for the study of Buddhism and philosophy, think, analyze, and discuss paradigms in Pali and English, and summarize essences, values, and benefits of Pali and English for the study of Buddhism and philosophy.

The aim of the these programs is important for educational management to expand the scope of subject contents, enabling the teachers to organize all teaching activities to cover all the contents in order to achieve the objectives of the subjects. In addition, there is a clear unity to achieve the objectives, resulting in complete knowledge according to the aim of the subjects.

3. The effect of using the model of educational management to promote learning of Pali at Mahamakut Buddhist University Lanna Campus was also investigated. According to the results of the study regarding the Pali learning, the students with the highest academical result were those at level B, 81 people, followed by those at level B+, 52 people. One student did not pass the measurement and evaluation criteria, and one student waited for evaluation with incomplete measurement.

Teaching assessment results are important for educational management. Teachers are enabled to know their own strengths and weaknesses in teaching. These results can be then used to improve the teaching methods and techniques of teachers. Teaching makes them know themselves and how to teach better.

DISCUSSIONS

The results of this research revealed the model of educational management to promote learning of Pali at Mahamakut Buddhist University Lanna Campus and can be summarized as points for discussion as follows:

1) The model of educational management at Mahamakut Buddhist University aims at transferring knowledge through languages and Buddhism, not at developing skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing Pali for use in Buddhism according to the framework of education. Therefore, the teaching meets the purpose with a variety of teaching forms, such as lectures, discussions, presentations, learning activities, self-studies, report writings, practical trainings, internships, individual and group work practices, and on-site and off-site seminars, by mainly focusing on learners based on the Yonisomanasikara principle. For this reason, the teaching management by arranging the learning contents and activities to suit the learner’s interests and aptitudes means that the teachers must regard the learners as the most important person. Since each learner is different, the teaching management is necessary to take into account such differences; for example, by arranging for slow learners to do activities that help emphasize their understanding gradually and for fast learners who have understood to attend other supplementary activities. However, different learners should at least have the same knowledge and understanding of the subject contents. This corresponds to the use of Pali in Thai, both academic and in daily life, especially verbal and written communications in which the Pali words appear. According to Viroj K. & Weeratis V. (2018), the use of Pali in Thai is both academic and in daily life, especially, oral and written communications in which there are many Pali words, because Thai people are influenced by Pali that has been mixed in Thai. This is mainly due to the acceptance of Buddhism by Thai people. In addition, Thai people like to use Pali in naming things, which are fictitious. If the naming is appropriate to the person’s ethics and characters, the name then becomes important and unique to that person and can bring benefits and happiness both directly and indirectly. From the analysis of Pali words currently used in Thai, it is especially useful for Thai users in speaking, conversation, and communication in Thai in their daily life correctly and confidently, such as body words. Therefore, learning Pali and Thai in depth and knowing their root words and correct meanings are truly valuable to study.

2) The results of the students’ studies can be taken into account to plan the teaching management and styles and supplementary activities. Willingness and time are important to the development of the contents used in teaching, the development of teaching styles, and the organization of more diverse activities, including the evaluation. In addition, teachers are enabled  to know their own strengths and weaknesses in teaching. These results can be then used to improve the teaching methods and techniques of teachers. Teaching makes them know themselves and how to teach better. This is a way to solve the problems of teaching Pali subjects. According to Montri W. (2019), contents of Pali subjects should be integrated with modern sciences, modern technologies should also be applied in teaching Pali, a tour of the temples to make merit and learn religious places in Buddhism should be organized, modern media should be applied to the teaching of Pali subjects, a room with an altar table, the principal Buddha image, and pictures of the Buddha’s history and Jataka tales for teaching Pali subjects should be simulated, and a test to measure knowledge of Pali subjects should be arranged. Therefore, problem solving is an activity aimed at eliminating difficulties or frustrations through the process of reasoning and reflective thinking in problem solving, which contains messages of difficulties or frustrations requiring thinking and conducting research or investigating to find a way to solve these difficulties or frustrations. In addition, problem solving is a formality in both learning and teaching. Problem-solving teaching methods are very valuable for children because life is full of problems If they know the techniques of problem solving, they will be able to get rid of the difficulties they will face (Chamnong H., 2011).  

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This research presents the model of educational management to promote learning of Pali and the effect of using the model of educational management. The results of this research are therefore useful for formulating guidelines and policies of various educational institutions at the tertiary, secondary, and elementary levels, both government and private educational institutions, including educational institutions of the Thai monks, where there is educational management for children, youth, and the general public, both monks and lay people, in communities and societies in various regions so that they can learn and see the importance of Pali and, especially, the proper and sustainable use of Pali in Thai.

There are four recommendations for this research.

Firstly, the faculty members of majors and programs should formulate policies for various campuses, determine the contents of subjects in accordance with the truth of the learner’s contexts and various activities of the university, both centrally defined activities and organized activities on campus.

Secondly, the management team and faculty members of majors and programs at Mahamakut Buddhist University Lanna Campus should establish a policy to formulate a teaching plan for Pali subjects in the same direction in order to be consistent with other activities of the university.

Thirdly, the faculty members of programs and subjects should learn more to measure and evaluate studies in accordance with the truth and the academic principles by taking into account the teaching process according to the program guide and the lesson plan. Rather than meeting the needs of the learners too much, it must mainly focus on the learners.

Finally, the recommendations for further research are as follows:

1. The process of teaching Pali at the secondary education level should be studied;
2. The achievements of learning Pali in Thai should be studied;
3. The value of learning Pali should be studied;
4. The methods of improving Pali learning should be studied; and
5. The strategies of improving Pali learning should be studied.

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[1]It is an ancient language in the Indian-European family, which was used to record scriptures in Theravada Buddhism.