Investigating Challenges of Student Centered Learning in Thai Higher Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has posed major challenges for the education sector worldwide. Face-to-face university courses have to be taught online. University instructors have faced significant difficulties in creating a student-centered learning (SCL) environment online. The aim of this study was to investigate the major challenges of creating student centered learning in Thailand and focused on a population of college instructors attending Thai EASTEM webinar on “Student-Centered Learning in Internet-Based (online) Teaching”, offered in year 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. The aims of this webinar series aimed to provide information on student-centered online learning, how to effectively conduct SCL-based online classes and strategies for better assessments in online learning. There were more than 1000 participants attending all three webinars. The online questionnaire was designed to gather information required by the study. Both quantitative and qualitative were analyzed according to emerging aspects of the online learning activity including learning goals, tools & resources, roles and assessment. As results, most instructors had concerned about fairness and honesty in online assessment, how to create SCL online teaching and students' skills in using computer for online learning and students' readiness in terms of equipment. The study findings are of great use in areas of education development in higher institutes of learning. The findings are also of considerable value in creating SCL online learning environment for college teaching in a digital era and adaptation of instructors towards new way of teaching and learning.