This study aimed to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of an instructional model integrating research-based learning and argumentation approaches to enhance critical thinking skills among undergraduate students. The research process consisted of two phases: (1) developing the instructional model and (2) studying its effectiveness. The target group consisted of 18 undergraduate students from a private higher education institution in Thailand, selected via purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using content and descriptive analyses. The findings indicated that the developed instructional model included four main components: (1) objectives, (2) principles, (3) instructional procedures, and (4) assessment and evaluation guidelines. The instructional procedures were organized into six stages: (1) problem identification, (2) solution exploration, (3) reception of arguments, (4) evidence augmentation, (5) verification process, and (6) structuring and discussion. The effectiveness study revealed a significant improvement in students’ critical thinking skills after participating in the instructional model, with a significance level of .01. These results underscore the potential of integrating research-based learning and argumentation approaches to enhance critical thinking among undergraduate students.

This qualitative research aims to investigate the operational processes and success factors of social enterprises in the context of agricultural development in Thailand. The study synthesizes practical guidelines to enhance the promotion of agricultural social enterprises. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Key informants consisted of 50 purposively selected individuals, including social enterprise committee members, social enterprise group members, and representatives from relevant government agencies, private organizations, and relevant communities. Four case studies of agricultural social enterprises with varying profit-sharing models were analyzed using content analysis. The research findings revealed that the operations of social enterprises in agricultural development involve creating shared concepts among group members, developing farmer groups to become entrepreneurs, and building upon organic farming systems to generate income for communities. Success factors involved with the promotion of social enterprises include knowledge development, community participation; member relationships contribute to efficient operations because social enterprises focus on internal processes, which affect their operations or members and group management. The proposed guidelines for promoting agricultural social enterprises encompass three key phases: (1) Initial Development focuses on setting social missions and goals based on local contexts and sufficiency economy principles; (2) Operational Strengthening includes developing production processes, participatory management, and organic certification; and (3) Strategic Expansion involves building cross-sectorial collaborations, farmer networks, and sustainable marketing mechanisms. This study offers practical implications for policymakers, local leaders, and development practitioners to enhance agricultural social enterprises as a mechanism for inclusive, community-based, and sustainable rural development in Thailand.

This paper analyzes the convergence of education, archaeological heritage, and tourism in studies and projects that promote sustainable management policies for the current scenario. The findings of an Integrative Systematic Review have been delineated. The objective of this study is to detect experiences and initiatives that manage to equate heritage, tourism, and education, giving them similar importance in their intentions, results, and implications through an integrated systematic review of the literature. An overarching commitment to the conservation and promotion of archaeological heritage characterizes these initiatives. They encompass a diverse spectrum of actions, including the deliberate provision of educational resources and training programs, the intention to foster sustainable cultural tourism, and the facilitation of experiences aligned with educational tourism. The PICOC strategy guided the formulation of the research questions. Concurrently, the PRISMA protocol was utilized to conduct the meta-analysis and extract the results from the Web of Science database during the period between 2020 and 2024. The findings from the final sample of 35 are encouraging, as the majority advocate a variety of management policies (administrative, economic, educational, cultural, social, etc.) which, when integrated, are reinforced and made operational. The research work has indicated the necessity to expand the scope of research focused on identifying a balance between the various management policies (administrative, economic, educational, cultural, social, etc).

Putting the customer at the center of everything a company does is not a new approach. However, how to strategically implement this in a B2B company remains unexplored. A company must shift from a product-centric to a customer-centric perspective and transform its entire organization. This paper provides a much-needed literature review on B2B customer centricity, examines, compares, and contrasts existing resources, offers a structured overview of the most essential aspects, and provides directions for future research. This review consists of a structured analysis of primary and secondary sources. Recurring topics such as employees, customer experience, customer relationship management (CRM), data, KPIs, and sustainability have been identified and outlined in more detail. The review thereby identifies the two elements, employees and data, as decisive components of customer centricity. Another relevant insight is the transfer of customer expectations from the B2C to the B2B market, leading to continually rising expectations among B2B customers. To realize the concept’s full potential and meet the growing expectations of business customers, a major rethink is needed. Future research should therefore focus on initiatives perceived by customers, refine what exactly the “center” is that a customer has to be put in, and clarify the practical process for holistically implementing customer centricity.

Although wellness tourism has received increasing interest from researchers and practitioners alike, the relevant research has been scattered and lacked a comprehensive understanding of its development. To fill this gap this study combines the existing research findings to track the development of wellness tourism research and explore the emerging opportunities via the perspectives of wellness dimensions. A two-phase methodological literature review combining bibliometric analysis and systematic literature review was conducted on 214 relevant Scopus-indexed articles published between 2001 and 2024. The bibliometric analysis, based on authors’ keywords, reveals three timelines in research development and evolution: an early focus on foundational and medical-based wellness concepts (2001–2010), a transition toward destination marketing and segmentation (2011–2019), and a recent emphasis on consumer experience and digital wellness (2020–2024). The systematic review identifies six wellness dimensions: nutrition and healthy eating, wellness education, mental and meditation, spa and massage, beauty and personal care, and physical fitness emerging as notably under-researched areas. This study contributes to the field by integrating wellness dimensions with wellness tourism research and offering a structured framework for future inquiry. This study focuses on wellness tourism research and its dimensions and the wellness tourism economy. Additionally, it is the only study employing a two-phase methodology focused explicitly on mapping the wellness research evolution and identifying gaps across six wellness dimensions.

In 2022, Nihongo Mantappu’s YouTube channel created a video series called “Waseda Boys Indonesian Trip” intended to “educate” the audience about Indonesian cultural diversity. The boys, consisting of Jerome Polin (Indonesian), with Tomohiro, Yuzuke, and Otsuka (Japanese), visited various islands and tourist attractions in Indonesia and collaborated with Traveloka to promote the holiday platform. One of the islands they visited was Papua. There, they travelled to various places, including Wamena, to meet the Dani tribe in Kumugima Village. However, the prior idea of “educating diversity” seems problematic, as it was delivered through the Japanese gaze as “the Self”, positioning Papua as “the Other.” Using Undressing Advertisement theory by William O’Barr, this research aimed to explore how the othering of Papua was achieved through idealized images, social interactions, inequality, and power. Furthermore, to analyze the discourse behind the image and text, this research employed Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis by Gunther Kress and Theo Van Leeuwen as a research method. The data source for this study was three YouTube videos of “Waseda Boys Indonesia Trip,” Papua edition by Nihongo Mantappu. The study shows that the boys from a sophisticated background positioned themselves as the ideal, while seeing Papua Island as primitive and aggressive. They even commodified the aggressive image of the Dani tribe as clickbait to attract viewers and gain YouTube trending status.

In the 1960s–1990s, Buddhism in Indonesia had to adapt significantly to state policies. Chinese cultures and Mahayana Buddhism were marginalized because they were seen as obstacles to assimilation into Indonesian identity. This resulted in significant growth of Theravada Buddhism. This article addresses two questions: (1) how did Chinese communities who were forced to adopt Theravada Buddhism maintain their beliefs in public areas? and (2) how have Buddhist monks in the Buddhayana organization, the largest and most adaptable Buddhist group in Indonesia, adjusted their teachings to serve the needs of Chinese communities? The research is based on document study of Buddhist magazines published since the 1960s and ethnographic fieldwork conducted through residence in Buddhayana temples in Java for two years (2021–2022). The figure of Guanyin, in terms of history, development, and worship in Indonesia, serves as the central theme to illustrate the adaptation of Buddhist rituals using the concepts of hybridity and interspirituality. The study has two major findings. (1) Although Chinese Buddhists chant in Pali, the veneration of Guanyin has not been abandoned. The Theravada Paritta is used as a medium to worship the Mahayana Bodhisattva. (2) While other Buddhist groups may view this practice as a form of mixed or syncretic Buddhism, Buddhayana followers interpret it as a cross-tradition practice rather than syncretism. For them, true Buddhism lies in its teachings, not in rituals, which may be contextually adaptable. The adaptive approach of Buddhayana monks aligns with the Mahayana ideal that Guanyin can manifest in any form to help sentient beings. The commitment to liberate beings from suffering should not be confined by language or culture. Ultimately, this article argues that Guanyin symbolizes not only a cross-gender and cross-national deity but also a cross-sectarian figure that enables practitioners to transcend boundaries of religious traditions.

This research aimed to develop a learning process that fosters creativity and innovation through experiential learning in the music and performance traditions of the Urak Lawoi ethnic group. Adopting a qualitative approach integrated with action research, the study engaged knowledge holders and youth representatives in co-creating a learning management model centered on local music and folk performance. Participants included Urak Lawoi children and youth interested in traditional music, along with cultural practitioners. Data were collected through interviews, observations, and document analysis. The findings reveal that creative and innovative skill development can be effectively promoted through four stages of learning management: (1) identifying knowledge transmitters and youth participants, (2) preparing musical instruments, (3) creating experiential learning activities in music and performance culture, and (4) cultivating performance experience. These steps were supported by four creativity development strategies: (1) individual knowledge acquisition, (2) raising awareness of community music culture, (3) facilitating collaborative brainstorming, and (4) co-creating artistic outputs. As a result, two youth participants acquired foundational skills in playing the Ga-Yok reed pipe and violin, forming a basis for enhanced creative thinking and a deeper understanding of Urak Lawoi musical heritage. Furthermore, this learning model aligns with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically supporting Quality Education (SDG 4) and the preservation of cultural heritage within Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11).

Before photography was introduced to China, realistic paintings were used to record important events and festive scenes in the court. Chinese and Western painters were often recruited to create paintings that served the court, due to the Qing emperor’s strong interest in them. This study aims to analyze the artistic features and the emperor’s artistic taste in festival court paintings in Qing China, as well as the scenes and connotations depicted in these works. Five representative court paintings depicting the Spring Festival during the Qianlong period were selected as research objects. Space is the guiding logic of this research, moving from parts of the imperial city to a panoramic view. The inner courtyard of the palace, the palace garden, the outer court, and the entire imperial city and its suburbs are explored in sequence. The research results found that festival paintings during the Qianlong period were a combination of Chinese and Western painting techniques, verve and precise forms, calligraphy and imagery. They embody five main connotations: 1) Festival painting is a medium for the emperor to display his will and imperial power; 2) It implies similar festival customs and cultures shared by the court and the people; 3) It reflects the diplomatic relations during his reign; 4) It shows Qianlong’s good governance and the people’s prosperity and happiness; 5) It expresses nature’s and celestial phenomena’s affirmation of Qianlong’s imperial power. The festival paintings reflect ancient Chinese ideals of self-cultivation, family management, state governance, bringing peace to all under heaven, and the unity of heaven and man. By reconstructing the original context of Qing dynasty festival paintings, we find that the emperor sought to prove his orthodox status and achievements through various aspects.

This study analyzes user behavior to support the development of Thai massive open online course (MOOC) in Thailand. Data analysis was conducted using data-mining techniques on questionnaire responses from 2,230 users. The study obtained the following results. Analysis of learners’ basic information and course trends derived from MOOC courses reveal that more than 250 students design a micro credit and alternative credit system, including a credit bank system. In terms of user interface, the results underscore the formats of contents, activities, and learning styles. Lastly, analysis of basic data on the Thai MOOC digital learning platform indicates that further development of the academic credit bank system is required. The study identified the need for a curriculum that focuses on vocational skills to develop work competencies, the accumulation and transfer of credits between universities, and recognition of previous credits and certificates to pursue a master’s degree. Thai MOOC users were mainly composed of students (30.04%), government officials (25.65%), and private employees (14.44%). In general, learners sought to upskill (83.41%), apply learning to daily life (68.57%), and conduct interest-based study (68.21%). We observed two patterns of registration in three consecutive courses, namely, (1) Personality, Psychology, and Adjustment; Startup: Pushing your Dream; and Consumer Behavior and Retailing Business in the Digital Age and (2) Startup: Pushing your Dream; Online Store Entrepreneur; and Consumer Behavior and Retail Business in the Digital Era. The top three patterns of registration in two consecutive courses included: (1) English for Communication and English Start Up, (2) English for Communication and Easy English for Everyday Life, and (3) Psychology and Daily Life and English for Communication.