Development of a Children’s Dharma School Program and its Verification of Using 『Ten Great Vows of Samantabhadra』

ABSTRACT

[Objective] This study aims to develop a systematic children's Dharma school program using the “Ten Great Vows of Samantabhadra” and to verify its impact on self-esteem and empathy among children. [Contents] The program was designed based on the ADDIE model, ensuring validity through reviews by experts in Buddhism and child education. Various activities were designed to support children's character development, reflecting the core teachings of the “Ten Great Vows of Samantabhadra,” including language, experience, role-playing, art, and meditation. The program was applied for 12 weeks to elementary school students at A Temple and B Temple in Jeju, divided into experimental and control groups. Changes in self-esteem and empathy were measured through pre- and post-tests. The results showed significant improvements in the experimental group's self-esteem and empathy. [Conclusions] The study confirmed that the children's Dharma school program using the “Ten Great Vows of Samantabhadra” positively affects children's self-esteem and empathy. These results suggest that this program can be used as a basic resource for developing and implementing children's Dharma school programs and contribute to the establishment of systematic character education methods based on Buddhist education.