The Application of Art Activities to Develop Emotional Intelligence Quotient for the Youth in Border Areas of Chiang Rai Province

Abstract

This study aimed to 1) examine the social context, state and problems of the youths, 2)
investigate the factors influencing the emotional intelligence of the youth, 3) to construct and
seek for the efficiency level of the art activities in order to test the youth’s emotional intelligence,
and 4) experiment and evaluate the results of using these art activities. The study was divided
into 3 phases : the first phase was to examine the social context, state and problems of the
youth residing in the border areas of Chiangrai Province; the second phase was to construct
the art activities and seek for their efficiency level; and the third phase was to try out and
evaluate the results of using these art activities. The instruments included questionnaires, 12
art activities selected from the 6 therapeutic art techniques, the evaluation form for assessingthe emotional intelligence designed by Department of Mental Health, and the satisfactory
evaluation form assessing the participation in art activities. Data were collected during October
2011 to March 2012. The obtained data were systematically analyzed by percentage, mean,
standard deviation, multiple regression analysis, and t-test. The findings of the study are
presented as follows.
1. The state and problems of the youths residing in the border areas of Chiangrai
Province on politics, economy, education, religion, myth, and tradition and culture revealed
that the problems occurred at a moderate level. The health problem appeared at a lower level.
However, the new increasing problems of the youths included illegal drug use, the migration
of the people from neighboring countries, the mafia threatening people from different groups,
and the environmental problems.
2. The factors influencing the youth’s emotional intelligence comprised the family
factors on the children rearing by parents, and the family member relationship; the factors on
schooling and educational institution which consisted of the school activities, and the teachers’
characteristics and manners. All of these factors could predict the youth’s emotional intelligence at
21 percent.
3. The construction of art activities produced 6 techniques : explosive technique,
harmonization technique, inner emotional releasing technique, building up relationship with
other technique, and personal world technique. These techniques were used to construct 12 art
activities and each activity consisted of : the activity title, rational, objective, activity structure,
learning matter, equipment and materials, working procedures, summarizing of activities,
assessment and evaluation of the activity participation, the role of the activity leaders, the
exampling pictures of the activities, and the demonstrating equipment and tools for doing the
activities. The results of the evaluation by the specialists revealed that the art activities
reached the set standard criteria referring that all of the activity components were effective.
4. The testing of the effectiveness of the art activities appeared that :
4.1. The youths residing in the border areas of Chiangrai Province had developed
their emotional intelligence averagely higher from 138.51 to 154.22 levels which was at
a common level.
4.2. The youths residing in the border areas of Chiangrai Province had developed
their emotional intelligence after the experiment higher than that of the pre-experiment at
a statistical significant level 0.01.
4.3 The youths residing in the border areas of Chiangrai Province evaluated that the
art activities could actually assist them to achieve the set goals.