Guidelines for Developing Social Studies Teachers based on Buddhist Principles to Instill Morality and Ethics in Junior High School Students: A Case Study of Talingchan Witthaya School, Mueang Suphan Buri District, Suphan Buri Province

Abstract

This article aimed to 1) examine the current situation, problems, and obstacles faced by social studies teachers in cultivating moral and ethical values ​​among lower secondary school students at Talingchan Witthaya School, Suphan Buri Province, 2) study teachers' attitudes and experiences regarding self-development based on the Sappurisadhamma 7 and Brahmavihara 4 principles, and 3) synthesize guidelines and develop a teacher development model based on Buddhist principles applicable at the classroom, school, and policy levels. This qualitative study employed purposive sampling to select 25 key informants. The study collected data through semi-structured, in-depth interviews and analyzed them using content analysis. The research findings revealed that (1) teachers faced issues regarding the inconsistency between policy and actual practice, as well as a lack of moral and ethical cultivation approaches suited to the context of digital-age learners, 2) teachers' understanding of and faith in Buddhist principles were crucial for their application in instructional management, with the Brahmavihara 4 serving as a foundation for building relationships that foster learning; and 3) the sustainable cultivation of moral and ethical values ​​requires collaboration among the home, temple, and school, alongside systematic teacher development. These findings led to the proposal of the SDEC-B Model a teacher-development framework that proceeds from the inside out, linking self-development, instructional management, and policy support to promote moral and ethical values among students sustainably.