Navigating Learning in Bhutan Land of the Thunder Dragon

2009·0.57 MB·English

by  Stiles

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

Santa Barbara

Navigating Learning in Bhutan, Land of the Thunder Dragon

A Dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the

requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy

in Education

by

Kathleen June Huck Stiles

Committee in charge:

Professor Jenny Cook-Gumperz, Chair

Professor Carol Dixon

Professor Charles Bazerman

June 2009
UMI Number: 3371687

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The dissertation of Kathleen June Huck Stiles is approved.

____________________________________________
Charles Bazerman

____________________________________________
Carol Dixon

____________________________________________
Jenny Cook-Gumperz, Committee Chair

March 2009
Navigating Learning in Bhutan: Land of the Thunder Dragon

Copyright © 2009

by

Kathleen June Huck Stiles

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I want to thank my committee members, Jenny Cook-Gumperz, Carol Dixon,

and Charles Bazerman, for their encouragement and support in my graduate work.

I am grateful to Jenny Cook-Gumperz for her presence, insights, and encouragement

throughout my whole process at GGSE and her helpful input for my work. I offer

my appreciation to Carol Dixon and Charles Bazerman for their assistance with

finding appropriate literature, insights on this research, help with organizing my

thoughts, and encouragement.

I want to express my gratitude to my Bhutanese interviewees. Many have

become friends and colleagues. I appreciate their openness and willingness to share

with me about their lives and their navigation of learning in Bhutan. I want to first

thank our wonderful guide Ngodup Dorji who connected me with the appropriate

people to interview and guided us through the beautiful country of Bhutan. I want to

express appreciation to Bhutanese scholar Karma Phuntsho for reading and editing

my chapter on the history of Bhutan and its education systems. I also want to give

special thanks to Lungtaen Gyatso and the members of the REC, Getse Penjor, Tashi

Wangyal, Sangay Jamtsho, and Chencho Lhamu, for their willingness to continue

their communication with me about education change and reform in Bhutan

throughout the last year. I hope my work may prove of some benefit to them.

I want to thank the family members, friends, and fellow graduate students who

have encouraged me and helped me clarify my thoughts through our discussions of

this research. Special thanks to my mother and sister for their encouragement and to

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my father for his legacy of storytelling. I also dedicate the knowledge gained through

this study to my children and grandchildren.

Finally, I want to express my deep appreciation to my travel companion, Robert

Reynolds. His encouragement to think deeply and thoroughly about my work,

insights about organizing my thoughts, and example of lifelong learning have been

of great benefit to me in my life and this study. It is a great honor and joy to be

navigating the journey of life with him.

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Vita
Kathleen Stiles
EDUCATION:
• B.A., Humanities, Biola University, 1969
• TESL Certificate, UCSB Extension, 1995
• M.A., Cultural Anthropology, CSUB, 1998
• Ph.D. Education UCSB, 2009

EXPERIENCE:
Teacher of 7th grade math and German at St. Mark’s Lutheran

School

1978 – 1981 Various clerical jobs

1982 – Present Private tutor (elementary school – university)

1994 – Present Proofreader for court reporting firms and editor for academic

papers

1994 – 1997 English as a Second Language instructor at CSUB Intensive

English Language Center

1998 – 2003 English as a Second Language instructor for SBCC Continuing

Education Division and at EF Language School

1998 – 1999 Tutor & summer instructor for UCSB Upward Bound Program

1999 – 2003 Academic Development Counselor for UCSB Early Academic

Outreach

2003 – 2009 UCSB Fellowship Ph.D. graduate student in Cultural Perspectives

and Comparative Education; TA for courses in education;

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research assistant for GGSE Research Office

2005 - 2007 ESL instructor for UCSB Extension August program

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ABSTRACT

Navigating Learning in Bhutan, Land of the Thunder Dragon

By

Kathleen June Huck Stiles

This study examines the navigation process related to education in Bhutan. In the

1960’s Western education came to Bhutan which already had a Buddhist monastic

education system and an informal system using traditional methodologies. Currently

all aspects of society, including education, are being aligned to Bhutan’s development

policy based on Gross National Happiness (GNH).

Data for this qualitative research study was collected through interviews in

Bhutan and ongoing communication with Bhutanese educators and school reformers.

Eight people educated only or first through traditional methodologies were

interviewed as well as six who had a combination of Western and traditional

education. Three common themes emerged across groups: 1) formal learning was

seen as related to spiritual/moral development, 2) experiences of learning were

associated with a sense of meaning and personal/internal motivation, and 3)

alphabetic literacy was seen to be strongly related to formal learning. Also common

to all groups was participation in some type of non-Western learning methodology.

Further study of such experiences seems very relevant to creating an education

system in Bhutan based on GNH.

The navigation processes of two education organizations in Bhutan were also

compared and contrasted. Both face similar issues but have very different functions

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and goals. The Institute of Language and Cultural Studies (ILCS) began as a monastic

school for lay people and is now part of the Royal University of Bhutan. In its

process of change, it has retained its traditional languages and monastic curriculum

while adding a more student-centered pedagogy, study of the English language, and

technology.

The Royal Education Council (REC) is a temporary organization commissioned

by the King to align the education system with GNH. The work of the REC is to

reform the current imported Western style system to form a new system based on

student-centered models which incorporates traditional values and prepares students

to function in the broader world. Study of this navigation can inform Western

educators about the conscious process of school reform.

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