The Development of a Buddhist Group Counseling Model to Enhancing Self-Regulated Learning Behaviors among Adolesent Students

Abstract

The objectives of this research were: 1) to study the self-regulated learning behaviors of adolescent students in schools under the Secondary Educational Service Area Office, Bangkok Area 2; 2) to develop a Buddhist group counseling model to enhance self-regulated learning behaviors; 3) to compare the self-regulated learning behaviors between the experimental and control groups before and after participating in the Buddhist group counseling program, as well as between the post-test and follow-up stages; and 4) to compare the satisfaction levels of adolescent students with the model. The study was conducted in two phases. Phase 1 was a survey research with a sample of 400 Grade 9 students in the 2021 academic year, selected through multi-stage sampling. Data were collected using a self-regulated learning behavior scale, which had a reliability coefficient of 0.89, and analyzed with descriptive statistics including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. Phase 2 was an experimental study with a sample of 24 Grade 9 students from Chan Hun Bamphen School, divided into an experimental group and a control group, with 12 students in each, selected through multi-stage sampling. The research instruments were the Buddhist group counseling model and a student satisfaction scale. Data were analyzed using dependent-sample t-tests to compare behaviors before and after counseling, and independent-sample t-tests to compare behaviors between the experimental and control groups.

The research findings indicate that: 1) overall, self-regulated learning behaviors of adolescents are at a high level, with the highest mean observed in self-reaction; 2) group counseling that integrates psychological principles with Buddhist teachings enhances adolescents’ analytical thinking, goal-setting, and learning problem-solving skills. This approach promotes continuous self-development and enables practical application in daily life. As a result, it leads to sustained improvement in self-regulated learning behaviors; 3) post-intervention, significant differences were observed in self-regulated learning behaviors between the experimental and control groups, as well as between pre- and post-tests, at the .05 significance level, whereas no significant differences were found between post-test and follow-up assessments; and 4) adolescents participating in the group expressed the highest level of satisfaction (>80%) with the Buddhist-oriented group counseling approach. This suggests that this counseling model is effective in fostering decision-making, behavioral control, concentration, and persistence in learning. Nonetheless, this study provides only one approach to supporting learners in managing their own learning effectively.