Schools In Bangkok Research Articles

Effectiveness of an oral hygiene promoting program for elementary school students using a smartphone endomicroscope in Thailand

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the effectiveness of oral hygiene promoting program (OHPP) using a smartphone endomicroscope among students in elementary schools in Bangkok, Thailand, to enable their oral hygiene maintenance and to compare oral health outcomes in the intervention program between the experimental and control groups.Design/methodology/approachThis is a quasi-experimental research study consisting of two groups, a pretest, a posttest and a follow-up design. The student sample consisted of 59 fifth graders who matched the study criteria on medium and low levels of teeth brushing skills. There were 29 experimental group participants who completed the six-week OHPP using a smartphone endomicroscope. Another 30 participants formed the control group involved in the ordinary oral health education program. The comparison data for oral health behaviors (knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP)) and oral hygiene were statistically analyzed by using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA).FindingsResults indicated that the experimental group exhibited higher oral health behaviors regarding KAPs and oral hygiene related to teeth cleanliness and gum health than the control group in the postexperimental and follow-up phases. However, there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups with regard to tongue cleanliness.Originality/valueThe students maintain their own oral hygiene due to a provision of activities related to KAP concerns. The instrument helped the students to find tooth decay and dental plaque associated with teeth cleanliness after brushing their teeth.

Development of a computer-assisted instructional package for life skills to prevent risky sexual behaviors in early adolescents, Bangkok, Thailand.

Background: The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of a newly developed computer-assisted instructional package for life skills (CAIFLS) specifically designed to raise awareness of risky sexual behaviors among Thai early adolescents in Bangkok. Methods: The research process included two phases: (1) the development and (2) the use and evaluation of the newly developed CAIFLS package. First, 5 teachers and 5 Grade 7 students of a Bangkok school were interviewed to collect information needed for the development of CAIFLS. The second phase was to implement learning activities through CAIFLS with a total of 87 Bangkok school students, consisting of 44 students for the experimental group who received CAIFLS for 4 sessions, and 43 students for the control group who received routine class lecture. CAIFLS instructions, lesson plans and worksheets were designed as the experiment methods. Then questionnaires of life skills assessments and student satisfaction were used to investigate the effects and the student satisfaction of CAIFLS. Results: The findings revealed that the efficiency values of the CAIFLS package were 80.2/82.5, higher than the set criteria of 80/80. Mean scores on life skills for the experimental group significant increased (p < .05), which was higher than the control group. The students also showed their satisfaction of CAIFLS at a high level (M = 4.20, S.D. = 0.29) Conclusions: CAIFLS can be used as an effective learning tool to enhance life skills to prevent risky sexual behaviors among Thai early adolescents.

How engineering notebook supporting Thai elementary student practice in STEM learning

This paper examines the use of engineering notebooks to foster 5th grade Thai student engagement and the learning of engineering practices in STEM education. This study examines how students? engineering notebooks support student work during design challenges. Through educational ethnography and discourse analysis, transcripts of student talk and action were created and coded around the uses of engineering notebooks at three Thai elementary schools in Bangkok, Thailand. Our coding process identified two broad categories of roles for the notebooks: scaffold student activity and support practices of engineering design. The study showed the importance of prompts was to engage students in communicating, writing, drawing, and redesigning in the small group by having an engineering notebook as a tool to support their learning.

Impact of Parental Involvement on Children’s Academic Performance at Crescent International School, Bangkok, Thailand

The purpose of this research to explore the impact of parental involvement on the academic achievement of students at Crescent International School and to determine whether the demographic variable of parents has an effect on their involvement in their children’s education. In addition, the study sought to examine what existing literature review found on the relation between parental involvement and children’s academic achievement. The present study was carried out at Crescent International School in Bangkok, Thailand. The responses of 12 parents, whose children are enrolled in secondary level, were taken as samples for the current study. The Intensity Sampling Technique was used in this research. A questionnaire about demographics of parents was distributed and interviews were conducted to assess the level of parent involvement. To find out student achievement level, the students results were used. The qualitative method was used to gauge the impact of parental involvement on students’ academic achievement. The results revealed that parental income level has no impact on the level of involvement in their children’s education. However, educational level, age, employment and marital status of the parents had greater impact on parental involvement. The main findings of this research indicated that students with highly involved parents had better academic performance and higher test scores in all the subjects compared to students whose parents were not involved in their education. the findings, suggested that parents should grow more awareness on the importance of visiting and supporting their children in school. It was also recommended that parents should take an active role in assisting their children’s education at school and at home since they are the first teachers of their children.

English Teachers’ Perspectives on Using Music in English Language Teaching in Thai Secondary Schools

The present study aimed to 1) investigate English teachers’ perspectives on using music in English teaching in Thai secondary schools; and 2) explore the problems teachers met while using music to teach English in Thai secondary schools. Participants in the present study were 55 English teachers from different secondary schools in central Bangkok, Thailand. The instrument for the current study was a questionnaire which included 24 Likert-scale items about teachers’ perspectives involving the attitudes, beliefs, intentions and problems of using music in English teaching, and one open-ended question asking about the problems teachers met while using music in their English teaching. Results from the quantitative data of the current study revealed the significantly positive attitudes and beliefs of the English teachers in Thai secondary schools on using music in English teaching, however, the results of open-ended question mismatched with the teachers’ attitudes and beliefs, which indicated that teachers actually did not use music in their English teaching frequently. The reasons and recommendations for future research have been discussed.

The Development of Online Training Curriculum base on Micro Learning and Online Social Network for Teacher in 21st Century in Test Construction Topic

The objectives of this research were 1) to develop the online training curriculum based on Micro Learning and Online Social Network for 21st century teachers on test creation, and 2) to evaluate the effectiveness of the online training curriculum based on Micro Learning and Online Social Network for 21st century teachers on test creation. The methodology was divided into 2 steps:Step 1was the development of the online training curriculum based on Micro Learning and Online Social Network for 21st century teachers on test creation by studying the problems and demands in examination creating including the demand on online training for Bangkok schools’ teachers and executives using questionnaires. After that the information data gained from step 1 was used to design and develop the training curriculum then quality checked by the expert. The result found that the developed online training curriculum was in the highest suitability level. Step 2 was the effectiveness evaluation of the online training curriculum based on Micro Learning and Online Social Network for 21st century teachers on test creation by using the developed training curriculum with 30 Bangkok teachers from simple random sampling from the respondents in step 1 and willing to participate in online training on test creation.&#x0D; The result found that 1) the evaluation on the teachers’ test creation ability compared to the ability before and after joining the training from development scores of each trained teacher – 2 teachers (6.67%) performed very high development, 21 teachers (70.00%) performed high development and 7 teachers (23.33%) performed moderate development and 2) the quality evaluation in accordance with the assessment standards of The Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation which was evaluated by 30 participating teachers and executives of the 30 teachers were in good level for 4 standards. The standard with the highest mean was propriety standards ( ̅̅ = 4.78). The next one was feasibility standards ( ̅= 4.74), Utility standards ( ̅= 4.71) and accuracy standards ( ̅= 4.64), respectively.

Body Mass Index Trajectories and Duration of Obesity in Thai Children Diagnosed with Hypertension.

This study explored the relationship between BMI trajectories and the duration of obesity in Thai children diagnosed with hypertension. Demographic and blood pressure data from 536 children (270 boys, 50.3%) from a school in Bangkok, Thailand were collected. Hypertension was defined as blood pressure above the cutoff values specified in the 2017 American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines on 3 occasions. Records of BMI over the previous 3 years were reviewed. The prevalence of hypertension was 2.61% (14/536). Complete data on BMI trajectories were available in 421 non-hypertensive and 12 hypertensive children. The increase in BMI z-score over the previous 3 years was significantly greater in the hypertensive group than the non-hypertensive group, 1.45 (95% CI 0.42 to 1.88) versus 0.09 (95% CI: −0.35, 0.65), P = .008. In conclusion, children with a confirmed diagnosis of hypertension had a greater increase in BMI over the past 3 years than non-hypertensive children.

An overview on skills management

Individuals in managerial positions must have the knowledge and abilities to carry out particular management activities or duties. Managerial abilities are crucial for a variety of reasons. Being a manager in an educational environment gives you the opportunity to lead and solve problems in a variety of circumstances, both basic and complicated. However, it has been noticed in Thailand that certain management abilities need to be improved. Managers of schools should improve and expand their skills in order to manage successfully and efficiently. This mixed-methods study examined school administrators' management abilities in terms of conceptual, human, and technical skills in a number of private catholic secondary schools in Bangkok, Thailand. The respondents self-assessed their management abilities using a checklist, and interviews were performed to verify the findings and identify professional development requirements based on the lowest-scoring categories by the school administrators. To collect data, Goodarzi designed a questionnaire based on Robert Katz's idea of management abilities. When it came to the evaluation of school administrators' management abilities, the majority of them rated themselves as excellent in terms of conceptual, human, and technical skills. In terms of conceptual skills, the identification of informal organization, articulation of strategy, and capacity to anticipate are the professional development requirements of private catholic school administrators. In terms of human skills, school administrators, on the other hand, need training in dispute resolution, report production, and official communication. Finally, in terms of technical skills, they need professional growth in financial management, computer skills, and marketing.

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AT PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN BANGKOK CITY

The purpose of this research is to study and study the management of Islamic education in Bangkok and government schools as well as to formulate recommendations and implementation of Islamic education. The main contributors in this study consisted of 3 interviewees, school teachers Klong Nueng (Kaewnimit) and other government school teachers. Qualitative informants and sources are the head of PAI. And Islamic education teachers in many government schools in Bangkok have mixed research designs using exploratory design models. And content analysis for qualitative data. In the implementation of the Bangkok government school Islamic education curriculum, the overall picture is at a good level. And the implementation of Islamic education from the head of PAI and PAI teachers, there is no difference and work experience. Suggestions and guidelines for the implementation of Islamic education in government schools in the metropolitan area of Bangkok 1) Preparation there must be coaching for the head of the academic field and PAI teachers in the field of recruitment of teachers who have immediately completed Islamic education teaching Islamic education 2) planning for curriculum implementation and implementation of all parties involved in the management of Islamic education. The curriculum must be planned and sustainable. So that the curriculum can be adjusted to the curriculum structure, both subject matter and study time 3) Implementing the implementation of the Islamic education curriculum the teacher must provide instruction. In accordance with the course structure Teaching integrated course content And using various techniques Use interesting materials Media for the teaching and learning process. ) Supervision, monitoring, and evaluation. Within the school, a supervisory committee should be appointed. Joint planning for the supervision of Islamic education. Set of supervision to summarize and report the results of supervision to related parties and the community. And let the agencies carry out their duties in the field of Islamic education to participate in monitoring the management of Islamic education in a sustainable manner

Parents’ Perception of School-aged Children’s Body Weight, Height, and Body Shape

ABSTRACT Background: Parents have important roles to perceive the growth abnormalities of their children. Parental misperception can affect the children’s long-term health problems. Aim: To investigate: (a) the accuracy of parents’ perception of children’s weight, height, and body shape, (b) the effects of misperception in caring for children’s health, and (c) the factors of parental misperception. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at a primary school in Bangkok, Thailand. A total of 1,153 parents completed self-administered questionnaires: (1) verbal perception of children’s weight and height and (2) visual perception of children’s body shape using Children’s Body Image Scale developed by Truby H and Paxtron SJ. Results: The agreement of parents’ perception and children’s actual weight and height was fair (K = 0.33 and 0.27, respectively). While the agreement of parents’ perception of boys’ and girls’ body shape was moderate (K = 0.43 and 0.48, respectively). Parents who underestimated children’s weight and height were likely to seek medical care (OR = 1.92; 95% CI 1.39, 2.65 and OR = 3.73; 95% CI 2.56, 5.44, respectively). Nonetheless, parents tended to underestimate the boys’ weight. Conclusion: Many parents do not accurately perceive their children’s weight, height, and body shape. This misperception could influence their caring for children’s health. Thus, educating parents about the perception of children’s growth should be emphasized to avoid long-term health effects.

Prevalence and distribution pattern of mood swings in Thai adolescents: a school-based survey in the central region of Thailand

BackgroundMood swings (MS) are a widely discussed psychiatric ailment of youthful patients. However, there is a lack of research about MS in this population.MethodsA school-based, cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the prevalence and distribution pattern of mood swings due to personal and contextual determinants in Thai adolescents in the central region of Thailand. Participants were 2598 students in high schools and vocational schools in Bangkok and three provinces in the central region of Thailand.ResultsThe prevalence of mood swings was 26.4%. It was highest among vocational students in Bangkok at 37.1%. MS were more common in adolescents who exhibited risk behaviors and who resided in hazardous situations. The probabilities of MS by characteristic in 15–24 years olds were: bullying involvement 36.9% (n = 1293), problematic social media use 55.9%(n = 127), high expressed emotion in family 36.6% (n = 1256), and studying in a vocational program 29.5% (n = 1216) and school located in Bangkok 32.4% (n = 561). Also, substance use was a risk for MS with cannabis use at 41.8%(n = 55) and heroin use at 48.0% (n = 25). Hierarchical logistic regression analysis showed that female gender, having a family history of mental problems, bullying involvement, problematic social media use, high expression of emotion in the family, and the interaction between vocational program enrollments and metropolitan/urban residence associated adolescent mood swings (p < .05).ConclusionsFindings indicate that the pattern of mood swings was associated with significant bullying involvement, social media use, family circumstance, and school characteristics. The public needs greater awareness of MS patterns and the positive implications of MS screening. Early preventive interventions that may limit later mental illness are needed.

Twenty years of technology and strategic roadmapping research: A school of thought perspective

Two decades ago the thirtieth-anniversary special issue of Technological Forecasting and Social Change correctly anticipated the widespread adoption of technology and strategic roadmapping at firm, sectoral and national levels. In this article, we explore the evolution of roadmapping studies since that time. Drawing on a mixed-methods approach (i.e. topic modelling, genealogical analysis, content analysis and interviews), we reveal the development of seven distinctive ‘schools of thought’: the Cambridge practical school, the Seoul school, the Portland and Bangkok schools, the Cambridge phenomenological school, the Beijing school and the Moscow school. We show that the schools differ in terms of (a) the research orientation, whether it be solution- or theory-oriented; (b) the research methods and data sources being used; and (c) the nature of contributions that each school seeks to achieve. The different areas of emphasis associated with each school are not competing but complementary, and together they develop the eclectic body of knowledge on roadmapping.

An Assessment of the Managerial Skills and Professional Development Needs of Private Catholic Secondary School Administrators in Bangkok, Thailand

The knowledge and ability of the individuals in a managerial position are to fulfill some specific management activities or tasks. Managerial skills are important for many reasons. Being a manager in an educational setting is a position to act as an effective leader and problem-solver in many simple and complex situations. However, in Thailand, it was observed that some managerial skills need to improve their skills. School managers should strengthen and develop to manage effectively and efficiently. This mixed research surveyed the managerial skills of the school administrators in terms of conceptual skills, human skills, and technical skills in selected private catholic secondary schools in Bangkok, Thailand. The respondents self-assessed their managerial skills in the form of a checklist, and to validate the results, interviews were conducted to determine the professional development needs according to the lowest items assessed by the school administrators. A questionnaire anchored on Robert Katz’s theory of managerial skills and developed by Goodarzi (2002) was used to gather data. With regards to the assessment of managerial skills’ practice of the school administrators, most of them assessed themselves as very good in terms of conceptual skills, human skills, and technical skills. The professional development needs of the private catholic school administrators in terms of conceptual skills are the identification of informal organization, articulation of strategy, and ability of prediction. On the other hand, school administrators need training in controlling conflict, report generation, and official correspondence in terms of human skills. Finally, they need professional development in financial management, computer skill, and marketing in terms of technical skills.

Business Development of Tutorial Schools in Bangkok, Thailand

This study determined the business development of tutorial schools in Bangkok, Thailand. Specifically, it looked into the following: the level of the business development of tutorial schools along marketing management, financial management, government policies and regulations, and human resource management; the impact of the business development of tutorial schools; and the impact as influenced by the level of tutorial school business development. The study made use of the descriptive correlational method of research. There were 652 respondents. A structured questionnaire was used to gather data. Ethical considerations included no risk on the respondents, anonymity and confidentiality among others. The data gathered were treated statistically using frequency, percentage, mean, and multiple linear regression analysis. The findings of the study are the following: (1) The level of business development of tutorial schools with marketing, financial, and government policies and regulations in Bangkok, Thailand is "Very Satisfactory"; (2) The level of impact of business development of tutorial schools in Bangkok, Thailand is “Very Satisfactory”. (3) There is no significant influence of the process variables on the output variables. The tutorial schools should continue providing training and seminars to equip themselves with comprehensive business trends and developments. Tutorial schools should provide more amenities in order to attract more students and increase their market.

Do Gender Differences Affect the Psychological Well-being of High Schoolers in Thailand?

This cross-sectional descriptive study aimed to examine factors affecting the psychological well-being of female and male Thai students, and to compare gender differences in a psychological well-being promotion model. Participants were 624 students from three secondary schools in Bangkok and Nakhon Pathom provinces, Thailand. Data were collected in 2018 through self-administered questionnaires, and analyzed using descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling. Findings indicated that all factors from the psychological well-being promotion model influenced psychological well-being among female and male students. Resilience and mindfulness were the strongest predictors affecting psychological well-being in both female and male students. Furthermore, there were not any gender differences concerning predictors and statistical parameters of psychological well-being among Thai secondary school students. Nurse educators or healthcare providers may offer interventions to enhance students’ well-being by strengthening resilience, mindfulness, self-efficacy, and social support. The same interventions, considering their preferences, may be provided to both male and female students. Future research should evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions using rigorous research methodology.

The relationship between severity of visual impairment and learning scores of the blind at the bangkok school of the blind

The development of the education system of the blind student can be considered as an increase in quality of life. At present, there is no definite conclusion about the relationship between visual impairment and cognitive function. The aim is to study the relationship between the severity of visual impairment and learning scores of the blind.

Exploring bilingual learners’ desires in English-medium studies: evidence from a Thai private bilingual school

ABSTRACT The last two decades have seen huge changes in the focus of English language education in non-Anglophone countries and jurisdictions around the world. English as a medium of instruction (EMI), as opposed to English as the object of instruction has been burgeoning in many Asian societies. While there is fruitful research on English language teaching and learning in Asia, less attention is drawn to the students’ experiences and perceptions about using English to learn academic content. Drawing on data collected in a bilingual secondary school in Bangkok, Thailand, the current study explores EFL learners’ perceptions, desires and discursively constructed identities in the EMI academic program. It is found that while the EFL students actively invest in EMI studies under multiple and sometimes contradictory desires shaped and reshaped by desires of their parents and the State as well as themselves, they seem to embrace the hegemony of white, native English. It is therefore suggested that critical and egalitarian multilingualism should be added as an element in the English-medium academic programs in Asia-pacific secondary education.

Fostering Metacognitive Reading Strategies in Thai EFL Classrooms: A Focus on Proficiency

EFL readers tend to experience a number of challenges while learning, due to a number of factors that affect how these readers achieve their learning goals. Metacognitive strategies, referring to one&amp;rsquo;s deliberate, goal-directed control over cognitive enterprises, are considered crucial for assisting EFL learners to be able to accomplish comprehension while reading. Previous studies have enriched the knowledge of metacognitive reading strategies in EFL settings. However, only few investigations yielded statistically significant effects on learners&amp;rsquo; reading performance. This present study hence foresees an opportunity to shed new light on this issue by focusing on EFL learners&amp;rsquo; proficiency. The objectives of this research are twofold: exploring the effects of the metacognitive strategy instruction on the strategy awareness, and perceiving the effects of the instruction on the reading performance in taking a standardized test. Forty-three students enrolling in a private male school in Bangkok, Thailand participated in the study, lasting ten weeks. A wide range of research tools were administered: SORS, IELTS reading test, and lesson plans. The findings suggested that the students&amp;rsquo; awareness of reading strategies used in terms of sub-categories and IELTS reading test score improved with statistical significance. Pedagogical implications and suggestions for future research studies are discussed based on the findings.

Increased prevalence of hypertensive-level blood pressure using the American Academy of Pediatrics 2017 guidelines: a cross-sectional study in a primary school in Thailand

ABSTRACTBackground: In 2017, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) launched a new clinical practice guideline for diagnosis of hypertension in children and adolescents. The new cut-off values were 2–3 mmHg lower than those of the previous 2004 guidelines.Aims: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of the new cut-off values on the prevalence of hypertensive-level blood pressure (BP) in children in a primary school in Bangkok, Thailand.Subjects and methods: BP, weight, height and waist circumference were recorded in 536 school children aged 8–13 years (270 boys, 50.3%) in grades 4–6. For analysis, BP was classified by the two different cut-off values (the 2004 AAP and the 2017 AAP guidelines). Demographic data for the children whose BP was hypertensive according to the 2017 guidelines but not the 2004 guidelines were compared with those of the children with normal BP according to both guidelines. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the factors associated with hypertensive-level BP.Results: Fifty-eight children (10.8%) had hypertensive-level BP according to the 2017 guidelines but only 37 (6.9%) with the 2004 guidelines. Twenty-one children who would not have had hypertensive-level BP with the 2004 AAP guidelines had greater Z-scores for body mass index and a greater proportion had obesity than the normotensive children. Body mass index was the only independent factor associated with hypertensive-level BP.Conclusions: The prevalence of hypertensive-level BP in children was increased using the 2017 guidelines. Children with hypertensive-level BP using the 2017 AAP guidelines but not the 2004 AAP guidelines had greater BMI Z-scores and a greater proportion were obese than the in the normotensive children. Body mass index was the only independent factor associated with hypertensive-level BP.Abbreviations: AAP: American Academy of Pediatrics; BMI: body mass index; BP: blood pressure; cm: centimeter; DBP: diastolic blood pressure; HT: hypertension; kg: kilograms; m: meter; NHANES: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey; ROC: receiver operating characteristic curve; SBP: systolic blood pressure; SBPHR: systolic blood pressure-to-height ratio; SD: standard deviation; WC: waist circumference; WHR: waist-to-height ratio

Introducing Constructivism to Young Learners: Analysing the Impact on English Language Performance

The significance of this study was to observe the instructional effect of constructivist teaching methodologies on English language performance outcomes among grade four students at a private all-boys school in central Bangkok. The experiment comprised two classes of differing ability: Class One (n = 18) classified as above average; and, Class Two (n = 15) below average. Both groups were taught according to the traditional Thai syllabus in the first semester of the academic year of 2016/17, transitioning to a constructivist learning environment in the second semester. The results of formal academic assessments were analysed via t-tests (<0.05); and the findings revealed that, as a result of the constructivist program, a significant difference was observed in both classes in relation to speaking attainments. However, in terms of overall language performance, a significant difference was noted in Class One only . Key Words : constructivism, instruction, performance, macro skills, young learners DOI : 10.7176/JCSD/46-07 Publication date :March 31 st 2019