Perception of Communication Information for Participating in Activities of the Temple to Inherit Buddhism of Wat Thong Noppakhun in Phetchaburi Province

Abstract

     This research with the objective to: (1) study the community’s perception of communication information for joining the temple activities to inherit Buddhism of Wat Thong Noppakhun, Mueang District, Phetchaburi Province, (2) study relationship between the community’s perception of communication information and participation in the temple activities to inherit Buddhism of Wat Thong Noppakhun, and (3) to create a communication model to build awareness of the community for participation in temple activities to inherit Buddhism of Wat Thong Noppakhun. The samples used in this study were 400 people participating in the activities of Wat Thong Noppakhun, Mueang District, Phetchaburi Province, and 30 people voluntarily participating in focus group discussion. The research instruments were a questionnaire and focus group discussion. The data were analyzed by using frequency, percentage, Chi-square, and content analysis. The research results were as follows: (1) The study of community’s perception of communication information for joining temple activities to inherit Buddhism of Wat Thong Noppakhun, Mueang District, Phetchaburi Province, revealed that most people perceived the information of Wat Thong Noppakhun through public relations via the internet and the amplified loud speakers of the temple, (2) There was relationship with statistical significance at the 0.01level between the community’s perception of the communication information and participation in the temple activities to inherit Buddhism of Thong Noppakhun Temple, Mueang District, Phetchaburi Province, and (3) The communication model to create awareness consisted of 5 important components as follows: (1) The message senders should be the abbot or the monks with many years in monkhood of the temple, (2) The substance of the messages should be activities related to Buddhist practices, (3) Communication channels should be online media together with amplified loud speakers and words of mouth, (4) The message receivers were the group practicing Buddhism activities and the elderly the family members took care of, followed, and took to join the temple's activities, and (5) the reaction and interaction were the heart of the expression of perception. The temple, therefore, considered the participants joining the temple activities much more important. And, during the period of participation in the activities of the temple, the monks, and the novice including the temple committee, had to pay attention to the participants and showed a relationship that impressed them with friendliness as if they were relatives and friends, which this practice always came from the planning with agreement before the practice.