Do Knowledge, Motivation, Efficacy, and Implementation Affect the Impact of Spiritual Greenery Activities?

Abstract

<p>The Ministry of Education (MoE), Bhutan launched its nationwide reform initiative termed 'Educating for Gross National Happiness (EGNH)' in 2010 (Tshomo, 2016). This programme was initiated in an attempt to help achieve Gross National Happiness (GNH) (Powdyel, 2014). One of the ways of realising the EGNH reform was by implementing the Green School for Green Bhutan programme, which contains eight dimensions: environmental greenery, academic greenery, intellectual greenery, social greenery, spiritual greenery, cultural greenery, aesthetic greenery, and moral greenery. Since 2010, schools in Bhutan have implemented the Green School for Green Bhutan programme by initiating different activities. All schools across the country practise meditation and mind training/mindfulness as part of spiritual greenery activities. Additional spiritual greenery activities such as <em>choesed leyram, annual rimdro</em>, and green day were also implemented. Although these activities have been implemented in the schools since 2010, in the absence of studies, nothing much is known about the implementation and impact of these activities. This study investigated whether knowledge, motivation, efficacy, and implementation affect the impact of spiritual greenery activities.</p> <p>Methodologically, the study utilised a mixed method, sequential explanatory design. A survey was used to gather objective data from 78 respondents concerning a green school, spiritual greenery, and spiritual greenery activities. The survey items were grouped into five themes of knowledge, motivation, efficacy, implementation, and impact for analytical purposes. The one-parameter Rasch model implemented in the QUEST software package was used. All QUEST model outputs were validated using WinSteps. A correlation analysis was carried out using respondents' ability estimates derived from the Rasch analysis. All bivariate correlation coefficients were significant; that is, scores on all five themes of knowledge, motivation, efficacy, implementation, and impact were highly correlated. Further, a regression analysis was conducted, which showed that knowledge was the dominant predictor of impact, with motivation, efficacy, and implementation adding to total impact but only in a marginal sense.</p><p> For the qualitative phase of the study, perceptions related to knowledge, motivation, efficacy, implementation, and impact of a green school, spiritual greenery, and spiritual greenery activities were gathered from 28 participants using a semistructured interview. The data were analysed using the five predetermined themes that were used in the survey analysis. Deductive and inductive thematic analyses were employed for the analysis of the data. Categories and codes were inductively developed within the predetermined themes.</p><p> Overall findings showed that although the regression analysis revealed that knowledge, motivation, efficacy, and implementation contributed to impact, the interview data analysis showed both confirmatory and counterfactual evidence. The findings revealed patterns in which low levels of each of the themes were associated with high levels of impact and high levels of the themes were linked to low levels of impact. There were also patterns of high levels of the themes linked to high levels of impact and low levels of the themes linked to low levels of impact. Future research to measure the impact of spiritual greenery activities was suggested. Additionally, the findings from this study indicated that if the implementation and impact of spiritual greenery activities are to be achieved, concerted efforts should be made by different stakeholders in the following: (i) providing adequate knowledge, motivation, and skills to all reform implementers, (ii) according spiritual greenery activities equal priority to academic pursuits, (iii) providing high quality training, and (iv) ensuring all schools have adequate resources.</p><p> Based on the gaps in existent knowledge, a number of implications were drawn for the different stakeholders, and directions for future research were identified. The findings from the study are expected to assist the MoE, schools, educational researchers, and other stakeholders in Bhutan with understanding the green school programme and the factors that affect the implementation and impact of spiritual greenery activities. The study addresses some of the existing gaps in knowledge in the Bhutanese context and adds to the body of literature and knowledge on spiritual greenery, both nationally and internationally. It also contributes knowledge that is relevant to consider for successful educational reform, ranging from the Bhutanese context to the larger body of literature of educational research.</p>