Area Based Empowerment in Managing Local Resources of the Lanna Cultural Society through the Thai Schooling

Abstract

          This article aimed to 1) extract lessons learned from successes and challenges in teaching local culture in schools, and 2) propose guidelines for creating soft power culture through the Thai school system. using the concept of educational power in local contexts as the main analytical framework. This qualitative research employed document analysis alongside field data collection through in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and participatory observation. The target group included students, teachers, a school principal, and community leaders in Wua Lai community, Chiang Mai Province, where Lanna cultural learning particularly in silvercraft was continuously integrated into the curriculum at Wat Si Suphan Municipal School.

            The findings revealed that place-based education effectively integrates local wisdom into the curriculum, fostering students' identity, pride, and strong school community relationships. However, limitations included the declining interest of modern-generation students and the lack of teacher capacity to design learning activities that linked culture with 21st-century skills. From the data synthesis, the researcher proposed five key strategies to develop soft power through the Thai school system 1) designing place-based curricula rooted in cultural capital, 2) opening learning spaces for community and local wisdom holders, 3) integrating modern skills with cultural preservation, 4) building external collaborative networks, and 5) using soft media for cultural communication. This study suggests that schools can serve as powerful mechanisms for elevating local culture to the global stage, provided there is a strong, creative integration of place-based education.