Development of Integrated Soft Power Learning Units in Basic Science for Career Course: A Case Study of Chiang Mai College of Agriculture and Technology

Abstract

Background and Aims: The National Economic and Social Development Plan outlines the direction for advancing the country toward sustainability through innovation, science, and technology. The subject Basic Science for Career Education plays a crucial role in promoting analytical thinking skills and the application of knowledge to real-life situations. The Thai government has promoted the development of Soft Power in five dimensions (5F) as a means to enhance the economy and the nation’s image. Integrating this concept into teaching and learning, therefore, serves as a key strategy in learner development. San Pa Tong District, Chiang Mai Province, is a culturally rich area with diverse wisdom and cultural capital that can be connected to all five dimensions of Soft Power (5F), making it a potential model area for developing learning units that integrate local wisdom with science. This independent study aims to: Design and develop learning units integrating Soft Power in the subject Basic Science for Career Education at Chiang Mai College of Agriculture and Technology. Evaluate the quality of the developed learning units integrating Soft Power in the subject Basic Science for Career Education at Chiang Mai College of Agriculture and Technology.

Methodology: The study entitled Development of Integrated Soft Power Learning Units in Basic Science for Career Course: A Case Study of Chiang Mai College of Agriculture and Technology was conducted in two phases according to the research objectives. Phase 1 aimed to develop learning units that integrate Soft Power into the Basic Occupational Science subject at Chiang Mai College of Agriculture and Technology. This phase was divided into two main steps: Step 1 involved studying the five dimensions of Soft Power (5F) in San Pa Tong District, Chiang Mai Province. Data were collected using structured interviews with 25 local experts and folk wisdom teachers—five individuals for each of the five dimensions based on their areas of expertise. Step 2 focused on constructing the integrated learning units. This was done through Focus Group Discussions involving seven participants: one school administrator, one curriculum and instruction expert, one science teacher, one educational supervisor, one teacher responsible for curriculum management, one teacher responsible for assessment and evaluation, and one community development officer from San Pa Tong District. Phase 2 aimed to evaluate the quality of the Soft Power-integrated learning units in the Basic Science for Career Course. The tool used for evaluation was a quality assessment form for the learning units, covering three main aspects: accuracy, appropriateness, and feasibility. The evaluation was conducted by five experts, divided into four groups: one school administrator, one science teacher, one educational supervisor, and two curriculum and instruction specialists. The statistical methods used for data analysis were mean, percentage, and standard deviation.

Results: The Soft Power-Integrated Learning Units in Basic Science for Career Course: A Case Study of Chiang Mai College of Agriculture and Technology consist of five units, each aligned with one of the five dimensions of Soft Power. These units were carefully designed to integrate fundamental scientific knowledge with local Soft Power contexts. The five units are: Unit 1: Food – “The Famous Larb Kway of San Pa Tong” Unit 2: Film – “Kad Ngua the Local Marketplace” Unit 3: Fashion – “San Pa Tong Lacquerware Handicrafts” Unit 4: Fighting – “Sword Dance: Traditional Thai Martial Art of San Pa Tong” Unit 5: Festival – “Loi Khomot: The Traditional Mon Community Festival” Each learning unit comprises six components: Unit Title Core Content Unit Competency Learning Objectives Learning Activities Assessment and Evaluation The quality assessment of the five learning units was conducted based on three criteria: accuracy, appropriateness, and feasibility. Each unit was evaluated in all six components. The results of the expert evaluation showed that all five units were rated at the highest quality level in every aspect. The average scores were as follows: Appropriateness: 4.65 (S.D. = 0.03), Accuracy: 4.59 (S.D. = 0.03), Feasibility: 4.52 (S.D. = 0.07). These results indicate that the developed Soft Power-integrated learning units are complete and ready to be implemented in the teaching and learning of the Basic Occupational Science subject.

Conclusion: The Soft Power-Integrated Learning Units in Basic Science for Career Course at Chiang Mai College of Agriculture and Technology were developed by linking scientific knowledge with local cultural capital. These consist of five learning units, each representing one of the five dimensions of Soft Power: Unit 1: Food – “The Famous Larb Kway of San Pa Tong” Unit 2: Film – “Kad Ngua the Local Marketplace” Unit 3: Fashion – “San Pa Tong Lacquerware Handicrafts” Unit 4: Fighting – “Sword Dance: Traditional Thai Martial Art of San Pa Tong” Unit 5: Festival – “Loi Khomot: The Traditional Mon Community Festival” Each unit contains clearly defined components: unit title, core content, competencies, learning objectives, learning activities, and assessment methods. According to expert evaluations, the learning units were found to be comprehensive, appropriate, and effectively applicable in practice. They promote scientific skills alongside the sustainable preservation of local culture at the vocational education level.