The results of a cooperative comic book to promote understanding of cultural differences between Buddhist and Muslim students in southern Thailand

Abstract

This paper reports the results of a cooperative project to create a storybook to promote knowledge and understanding of cultural differences between Buddhist and Muslim students in the three southern border provinces of Thailand. The action research methodology incorporated four steps – planning, action, observation and reflection – which collected qualitative data through observation, in depth interviews, and quantitative questionnaire data from the participating 16 Thai Buddhist and 16 Thai Muslim students from two high schools situated in a multicultural society. The data were analyzed by interpretation and summarized by descriptive analysis and with paired sample t-test. The results show a change in the knowledge and understanding toward cultural differences of Thai Buddhist and Muslim students. The quantitative study results found that after Thai Buddhist and Muslim students’ cooperation of creating a storybook, they evaluated the result of knowledge and understanding of cultural differences at a statistically significant higher level. The qualitative study results found that students had three outcomes. First, Thai Buddhist and Muslim students had knowledge and understanding of each other’s cultures, especially Buddhism and Islam. Second, Thai Buddhist and Muslim students had more knowledge of pluralism, breaking up the idea that everything is the same. Third, Thai Buddhist and Muslim students knew the distinctive point of each culture in their area and clearly understood that Thai Buddhist and Muslim cultures each have their own aesthetics.