Studying behaviors based on the principles of Iddhipāda and their relationship with 21st century core skills of undergraduate students at Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University

Abstract

This research aimed to 1. examine the level of 21st-century core skills among undergraduate students, 2. compare learning behaviors based on the Four Iddhipāda (Pathways to Success) in relation to 21st-century core skills, and 3. validate a development model of 21st-century core skills for undergraduate students at Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University. A mixed-methods research design was employed. For the quantitative phase, data were collected from 337 undergraduate students using a questionnaire. The results indicated that students exhibited a high level of learning behaviors based on the Four Iddhipāda, with “Chanda” (zeal or will-to-do) scoring the highest. The overall level of 21st-century core skills was also high, with 3R skills and 7C skills. Comparative analysis revealed that Thai students had significantly higher 21st-century skills than international students. Similarly, senior-year students demonstrated significantly higher skill levels than junior-year students. Behavioral analysis showed that all components of Iddhipāda were positively correlated with 21st-century skills at a statistically significant level. Specifically, “Vimamsā” (investigation) and “Citta” (mental focus) were found to be significant predictors of both 3R and 7C skills, explaining 69.7% of the variance. In the qualitative phase, an expert panel of five Buddhist scholars participated in a connoisseurship-based seminar to validate the IDDIS21-MCU Model. The findings indicated that the model was clear, appropriate, practical for educational contexts, and potentially scalable to international application.