Table Of ContentUNIVERSITY 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.
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Charles Bazerman
____________________________________________
Carol Dixon
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Jenny Cook-Gumperz, Committee Chair
March 2009
Navigating Learning in Bhutan: Land of the Thunder Dragon
Copyright © 2009
by
Kathleen June Huck Stiles
iii
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
iv
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.
v
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
vii
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
viii
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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