Thai Education Research Articles

The significance of ethnomathematics learning: a cross-cultural perspectives between Indonesian and Thailand educators

PurposeEthnomathematics can help understand math concepts but is challenging in countries like Indonesia and Thailand due to its complexity. This study explores how math educators in these countries view integrating ethnomathematics into teaching. The purpose of this study is to see its importance in helping students understand and apply math concepts in different cultural settings. By looking at educators’ opinions, the study seeks strategies to effectively use ethnomathematics in education.Design/methodology/approachThe research used a mixed-methods approach with questionnaires and interviews to gather data from 138 Indonesian and 145 Thai educators, including lecturers, teachers and preservice teachers. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics to classify responses. Qualitative data analysis involves reducing, presenting, concluding and validating data to ensure accuracy. This approach aimed to provide a complete understanding of educators’ views on ethnomathematics.FindingsThe quantitative results showed strong support among Indonesian educators (average score 4.77) for integrating cultural elements in math education. Thai educators were slightly less enthusiastic (average score 4.57), but still positive. Interviews revealed unique cross-cultural perspectives and emphasized the need for theoretical and practical applications of ethnomathematics in the classroom. This perspective highlights the importance of social context and interaction in learning and calls for innovative teaching methods that use students’ cultural backgrounds.Originality/valueThis study offers new insights into how Indonesian and Thai educators view ethnomathematics, considering their cultural contexts. It underscores the importance of adapting teaching approaches to fit each country’s cultural characteristics, showing the close link between ethnomathematics and cultural development.

The locus of Buddhist pedagogy and decolonising the ‘Thai university’

ABSTRACT The conjoint processes of nation-building and the construction of a homogenous national culture in Thailand have often leveraged Buddhism as a unifying force and cultural heritage of the Thai people. Owing to this, Buddhist pedagogy has been integrated into the Thai national curriculum, and accordingly, the modern Thai education system is steeped in Buddhist values. This is at odds with the modern-secular registers of pedagogy modelled after the Enlightenment project. Departing from here, this paper seeks to understand: how is the Buddhist religious order integrated into the “modern” Thai higher educational system? How, and how far, does it coexist with(in) the so-called modern universities, and what are its implications? Conversely, how do the “modern” curricula sit with Buddhism, both as an epistemology and a religious faith? Further, how does this then bear upon the line between the traditional-religious and the secular-modern as imagined from within the framework of the modern-secular episteme?.

Key Influencers Boosting ICT Adoption and E-Leadership Among Thai Educators in Higher Education

Key Influencers Boosting ICT Adoption and E-Leadership Among Thai Educators in Higher Education

Climate change challenges: Case of the Thai agriculture business sector

Climate change and its effects are accelerating, with climate-related disasters piling up season after season. This study explores the impact of climate change on Thailand’s agricultural business by examining the views and experiences of stakeholders in the sector. Through in-depth interviews and thematic analysis, the study reveals the multifaceted challenges faced by the agricultural community. Participants highlight the disruptive effects of irregular rainfall patterns and rising temperatures on crop productivity and economic stability, exacerbating food shortages and livelihood insecurity. Additionally, the study underscores the critical issue of food security and the need for resilient agricultural practices. Furthermore, the inadequate integration of climate change education in the Thai education system and its implications for farmer adaptation are discussed. The study emphasizes the urgent need for comprehensive support measures and a holistic approach to address climate change impacts on Thailand’s agricultural sector, ensuring its sustainability and the well-being of farmers.

An Analysis of Agency in Thai Education Policy: A Corpus- Driven Approach

The most important skill in modern education is critical thinking and its necessary elements are agencies and voices which are force, ability, or power to make decisions or changes. Despite numerous efforts to increase Thai students’ critical thinking skills, their ability to construct social and academic arguments is still far too weak. In addition, while these efforts mainly focus on students’ critical thinking skills, little attention has been given to other education stakeholders such as education, institutions, schools, and teachers which potentially provide room for teachers and students to be critical. In this study, we investigated the ideological indexation of education stakeholders in a series of Thai educational policies (TEPs) years 2016-2018 from the Ministry of Education, Thailand. In TEPs, we utilized the corpus linguistic frequency function to locate the possible stakeholders and applied the framework of syntactic corpus analysis for agency identification (FO-SCAAI) to lexically elicit their agencies and voices which are important elements in modern education. The findings revealed an understanding of the representation of varying degrees of education stakeholders’ agencies in TEPs. The implications of this study will lead to the realization that education stakeholders lack agencies and voices. We hope that upon realizing their lack of agency, the involved parties will make changes by providing more agencies to education stakeholders through modern education in Thai education policies.

Exploring the Relationship Between Inequality and Economic Stagnation

Many countries facing economic stagnation recently have achieved significant economic development for the past few decades. Those countries are mostly in Asia, and it is easy to make the connection to Thailand as its location and outperformance in economic development. As many countries are facing this issue, it is essential to find the reason for this to happen to help solve the dilemma and continue the economic growth in those countries. This paper looks into the specific causation of inequality to economic stagnation and establishes the causal relationship between them. This is important because establishing the relationship can help to suggest possible solutions for solving economic stagnation where no existing report has been done. Throughout the paper, it contains secondary data resources and used qualitative research resources as support to make the argument. Showing the data of GDP identifies the economic stagnation, and these data are already being collected and shown online. Many previous studies have pointed out the possible problem of economic stagnation in Thailand maybe inequality but without an actual in-depth study. Knowing that Thailand is focusing on its development in human capital, a focus on education was selected and centered on searching data and arguments that are supported. Finding existing papers with data elaborated on the problem of inequality and outcomes brought by inequality in the current Thai education system, it can be further analyzed to conclude that the outcomes are closely related and caused by inequality in the society. The poor outcomes can lead to not having enough high-educated talents in the labor market, then cause a slowdown in companies and economic development, which falls to economic stagnation. Based on analyzing this evidence, a relationship can be established between the inequality in society and the education system and then caused an effect on economic development.

Trend of minimally invasive and open surgery experience of general surgery residents: Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education general surgery case log in Thailand.

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) offers patients several benefits, such as smaller incisions, and fast recovery times. General surgery residents should be trained in both open and MIS. We aimed to examine the trends of minimally invasive and open procedures performed by general surgery residents in Thailand. A retrospective review of the Royal College of Surgeons of Thailand and Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education general surgery case logs from 2007 to 2018 was performed for common open and laparoscopic general surgery operations. The data were grouped by three time periods, which were 2007-2010, 2011-2014, and 2015-2018, and analyzed to explore changes in the operative trends. For Thai residents, the mean number of laparoscopic operations per person per year increased from 5.97 to 9.36 (56.78% increase) and open increased from 20.02 to 27.16 (35.67% increase). There was a significant increase in the average number of minimally invasive procedures performed among cholecystectomy (5.83, 6.57, 8.10; p < 0.001) and inguinal hernia repair (0.33, 0.35, 0.66; p < 0.001). Compared to general surgery residents in the United States, Thai residents had more experience with open appendectomy, but significantly less experience with all other operations/procedures. The number of open and minimally invasive procedures performed or assisted by Thai general surgery residents has slowly increased, but generally lags behind residents in the United States. The Thai education program must be updated to improve residents' technical skills in open and laparoscopic surgery to remain competitive with their global partners.

By design or by accident: the legacy of Thailand’s 1999 education reform and the cultural consequences of internationalization

ABSTRACT The National Education Reform Act of 1999 sought to modernise Thai education at all levels. The core reforms included teacher training, to shift to student-centred pedagogy; de-centralisation of school and university administration; and integration of communication technologies. Among subsequent developments was the push for internationalising education. Two decades later, the children of 1999–2000 are graduating from university. The participants in this qualitative study grew up in international programmes, and are also now graduating from university. In this study, the findings suggest that Thai education is still defined by structural tradition. However, our participants express strongly held values about freedom of expression and individuality, which they associate with their internationalised experience. The results suggest a tension between cultural identity and the beliefs that our participants assimilated in international programmes. The results also provide reflections about the achievements of the 1999 Act, even if they were not directly achieved by the policy instruments it articulated.

Gamers’ Total Experience and Game Motivation for Further Education Digital Manpower

Digital Manpower is very necessary in Thailand today as the growth of technology continues to increase. For example, tech giant Gartner has announced new technology trends every year including 2022, announcing the following technology trends: Total Experience, Composable Application, Decision Intelligence, Hyperautomation, Distributed Enterprises, Autonomic Systems, Generative AI, AI Engineering etc. The application of technology in daily life is increasing. The development of Digital Manpower is therefore very important in order to increase the knowledge and expertise of the country's people in technology. From the statistics, the country has increased internet usage in many ways. For example, from the statistics in 2021, Thai children playing games were number 1 in the world, and in 2022, Thai children playing games are in 2nd place in the world. But the problem faced with Thai education today is that children like to play games and think that they can study in the field of computers. But, in fact, students are not directed into the technology field taking into account their own aptitudes. causing the study to be not fully effective and some leave their courses midway. Therefore, this research is interested in the confirmation factors of children playing games by collecting data on Gamers' Total Experience and Game Motivation in order to analyze the data and discover the confirmation factors that direct the admissions to various computer disciplines. What direction and aptitude do you need to be able to enter a group of computer science disciplines in order to become a Digital Manpower in the country's future development. The researcher has collected data from a sample of 630 people from all six groups in computer science. The confirmation factor was analyzed by the LISREL program. It was found that each group of computer disciplines had different confirmation factors.

Educational transformation in the digital era: A developing country perspective

In the digital age, education harnesses technology for transformative learning. Siemens (2008) introduced connectivism education theory that best described the digital environment of education. Lifelong learning and informal learning through open resources are fundamental to connectivism. Students are influenced by their teachers’ method of teaching. Their guidance will shape students’ learning experience and skill sets (Villegas-Ch et al., 2021). Tavenner (2019) advocates student-centered, personalized learning aligned with connectivism. However, challenges persist: 1) optimizing interactive, 2) meaningful education and 3) adequately supporting teachers in this context. Our study addresses these issues for Thai educators and learners, offering practical recommendations. This research aims to elucidate current obstacles faced by Thai educators and learners in the digital age and provide suggestions to enhance learning experiences. Using purposive sampling, we conducted 18 in depth interviews with stakeholders spanning Thailand’s grades 1 to 12, representing public, private, and non-profit sectors. Employing content analysis, findings reveal Thailand’s digital infrastructure is primed for educational transformation. Yet, scarcity of human resources and systemic constraints impede progress. Despite educators widely sharing open materials, learners struggle to effectively utilize these resources, limiting their benefits. This study underscores the need for concerted efforts to bridge these gaps and fully leverage available educational resources.

Professional Reflexivity in Thai Teachers’ Understanding of Asperger’s Syndrome

Introduction. The aim of this research is to investigate changes in Thai educators’ attitudes towards their understanding of Asperger’s Syndrome before and after a teacher-training session. Currently, opportunities for professional training regarding Asperger’s Syndrome are very scarce in Thai educational communities. Educators may not be able to provide optimum education and guidance for their students with Asperger’s Syndrome. Meanwhile, these students’ learning outcomes are significantly affected by their educators lacking knowledge of evidence-based intervention methods. Therefore, based on a needs assessment, a teacher-training session was developed to minimize the gaps in pedagogical knowledge and practice. Materials and Methods. A quasi-experimental, embedded mixed-methods design was used to obtain data. This study employed a one-group, pre-test/post-test design, as there were no control groups involved due to the novel learning subject matter. The limitations of the current study – its structure and participant recruitment – were identified and discussed. An availability sampling method was used for this study, resulting in the recruitment of 12 in-service teachers and 32 pre-service teachers from the northeastern region of Thailand. Questionnaires and interviews were used as measurement tools to comprehensively capture participants’ learning experiences. For the statistical analysis, the paired sample t-test (alpha = .05) was used. Meanwhile, for the descriptive analysis, the deductive approach was used. Results. Our results corroborate our sequential hypotheses regarding a teacher-training session and educators’ perceived levels of understanding of Asperger’s Syndrome. The training session was developed with a hypothesis that teachers needed educational opportunities to acquire proper knowledge of Asperger’s Syndrome, so that their students could be fully benefited from the pedagogy. As a result of attending the session, a statistically significant increase in correct response rates was indicated. Indeed, this increase in knowledge fulfilled the second hypothesis that by having proper knowledge of Asperger’s Syndrome, teachers’ professional reflexivity can be improved. Discussion and Conclusion. The outcomes of this study indicate that a teacher-training session has played a crucial role in cultivating Thai educators’ understanding of Asperger’s Syndrome. The outcomes present an interesting correlation between teachers’ knowledge acquisition and their increased professional and personal reflections. Simultaneously, the findings of this study suggest the potential benefits of improving research methodology, including an employment of randomized control trial, a larger sample size, and diversity within the sample population.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE ATTITUDE BEHAVIOR THEORY TO INVESTIGATE SEXUALITY EDUCATION OF THAI SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS - A CURRENT STUDY WITH INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS IN MIND

The article describes the current state of sexuality education among Thai secondary school students based on their attitudes towards sexuality, barriers to access to HIV prevention and the actual status of receiving sexual health information. Using knowledge-attitude behavioural theory, the author focused on the following subjects: 1. Attitudes of secondary school students in Bangkok toward sex education 2. Problems in accessing information on healthy sexuality, 3. Their attitudes about sex and sexuality 4. The obstacles to HIV prevention. The author identified gaps in the current knowledge of Thai high school students about healthy sexuality, access to information about healthy sexuality and barriers to healthy sexual education for high school students. The author also found that participants had the highest percentage of knowledge about sex on the Internet and a higher rate of knowledge about sexual health than about preventing STIs. In contrast, high school students in Thailand were positive about safe sex. Sexual attitudes differed on a gender basis, with men more open to sex. There was less correlation between individual history and sexual behaviour. Gender difference had no effect on the safer gender difference. The correlation between personal history and safer intercourse was weak. Secondary school children in Thailand believe that the content of sex education in textbooks is inadequate. Participants in the survey indicated a strong need for safer sexual knowledge and practices. New research results improve the sex education program in line with what adolescents think and can be used for better sex education. The innovation of this study is that it is the first time to find out the deficiencies of sex education content in Thailand by comparing the actual interview results with the content of sex education that the interviewers have received in the past. And learn how to do a more effective sex education program in Thailand than what your visitors think. Due to time and funding constraints, this study cannot conduct a larger-scale interview survey, so there will inevitably be omissions. The recommendations of the results of this study are also expected to be truly implemented in the Thai education system in the future.

Re-envisioning a “skills framework” to meet 21st century demands: What do young people need?

Young people today face rapidly changing landscapes in all aspects of life. These changes pose challenges to the wellbeing of future generations and the success of the global commitment to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The skills framework project was introduced to reexamine the “Life skills”/Skills Education Framework to guide the direction of twenty-first century skills in Thai Education. Skills frameworks have been developed and proposed by various organizations. In re-envisioning one for Thailand’s young people, it was crucial to involve them in the process. This paper describes a design-thinking approach to developing a skills framework involving stakeholders’ voices and, crucially, Thai children and youth. The paper argues that any skills framework for the twenty-first century must include young people’s values and aspirations. This study shows that while Thai children and adolescents share common interests and have the vision to make Thailand a prosperous nation, they differ in their focus on required skills and are also challenging some core values. The proposed basic education skills framework is designed to be comprehensive and flexible. It encompasses a global skills framework to meet twenty-first century needs and support global commitments to the SDGs. At the same, it reflects the diverse needs of Thailand’s stakeholders, especially young people. It also emphasizes the principles of applicability, adaptability and relevance and seeks to reflect the aspirations and dreams of its young people in the context of a changing environment and future demands.

Familial and Educational Attitudes towards Children with Special Needs in China and Thailand

Attitudes towards children with special needs vary around the world and may vary in different parts of the same country. For most Buddhist Thais, the birth of such a child indicates sins committed in the past and karmic consequences. For those of Sino-Thai lineage, such a child may indicate good fortune to come. Meanwhile, in China, many parents will refuse to accept a clinical diagnosis and will return to consult doctors numerous times in the hope of obtaining a second opinion. They may refuse to acknowledge the situation until the child is seven years old and able, therefore, to be admitted to a school specializing in treating children with special needs. Across Thailand, teachers have comparatively high social status and a greater proportion of the national budget is spent on education than in China (although there remain significant problems in the Thai education system). Spending on education for children with special needs is also lower in China and the Chinese system requires teachers to advance through knowledge acquisition, which means few teachers are able or willing to teach children with special needs. By contrast, the Thai system attempts to imbue teachers with an awareness of ethics and encourages a loving relationship between teachers and children and inculcate cooperation among students. This paper is based on qualitative research in both countries concerning the treatment of children with special needs and the production of teachers to help teach them. Insights are drawn and some initial policy recommendations made.

The Trends of Education after the COVID-19 Situation in Thailand

This research aims to synthesize the views from domestic and international references on the trends of education after COVID-19 situation, then convey the results of the synthesis to the experts from different groups to examine the trends and the feasibility of mix-method research which would be applied in Thai education after COVID-19 situation. The research conducted an in-depth interviewing of 15 experts and used the discussion method with other target groups of 15 experts. The research results defined the proposals of 31 issues for the trends of education after COVID-19 situation in Thailand. These proposals were similar to those of the educational paradigm shift from the 20th to the 21st century. As a result, Thailand is becoming a more digital society and people have to focus on using information and communication technologies (ICT) to gain the maximum benefits to develop the quality of Thai education.

Creation of an International Interprofessional Simulation-enhanced Mechanical Ventilation Course.

BackgroundEvidence shows poor adherence to strategies for reducing morbidity and mortality in intensive care unit (ICU) patients receiving mechanical ventilation globally. Best practice management relies on training all members of the interprofessional ICU team, each with complementary roles in patient management.ObjectivesTo develop and evaluate a novel two-phase, train-the-trainer, interprofessional and multicultural “Best Practice Management of the Ventilated ICU Patient” multimodality, simulation-enhanced curriculum for Thai education leaders in critical care.MethodsIn phase 1 (Oregon Health and Science University cohort), two groups of nine ICU nurses and one critical care physician representing experts in critical care and education from a large hospital system in Thailand participated in a weeklong, immersive course consisting of didactic, simulation, and in situ immersive sessions focused on best practice management of mechanically ventilated ICU patients, as well as training in our educational techniques. Outcomes were assessed with pre- and postcourse knowledge assessments and overall course evaluation. In phase 2 (Thai cohort), participants from phase 1 returned to Thailand and implemented a lower fidelity curriculum in two hospitals, using the same pre- and posttest knowledge assessment in 41 participants, before the onset of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) 6 pandemic.ResultsIn the Oregon Health and Science University cohort, the mean pretest knowledge score was 58.4 ± 13.2%, with a mean improvement to 82.5 ± 11.6% after completion of the course (P , 0.05). The greatest improvements were seen in respiratory physiology and advanced/disease-specific concepts, which demonstrated absolute improvements of 30.4% and 30.6%, respectively (P < 0.05). Participants had a high degree of satisfaction, with 90% rating the course as “excellent” and .90% reporting that the course “greatly improved” their understanding of best practices and comfort in managing mechanical ventilation. The Thai cohort had a mean baseline score of 45.4 ± 15.0% and a mean improvement to 70.3 ± 19.1% after training (P < 0.05). This cohort also saw the greatest improvement in respiratory physiology and advanced/disease-specific concepts, with 26.2% and 26.3% absolute improvements, respectively (P < 0.05).ConclusionA novel, two-phase, interprofessional, multicultural, simulation-enhanced train-the-trainer curriculum was feasible and effective in improving education in best practice management of mechanically ventilated patients and may be a useful model for improving the care of ICU patients across the world.

New Normal Appropriate Learning Model: 2NAL Model during COVID-19 Pandemic for Undergraduates of Thai Educational Institutions

Abstract: Due to the serious COVID-19 pandemic and the adjustment of educational management in Thailand that caused the change of learning model from old to new normal by online learning at home, the objectives of this research were to study and analyze the factors of new normal appropriate learning model: 2NAL model during COVID-19 pandemic for undergraduates of Thai educational institutions. The method of study was divided into 2 phases. First phase was to study the factors of new n o rma l a p p r o p r i a t e l e a r n i n g mo d e l f o r undergraduates discussed by 9 experts of public educational institutions. In-depth interview was used to ask the opinions about the factors of new normal appropriate learning model for Thai undergraduates. The questions were clearly structured and used for individual interview. For this phase, the data were analyzed by using qualitative data analysis. The second phase was to analyze the factors of new normal appropriate learning model for undergraduates discussed by 1,126 experts of all public educational institutions which provide undergraduate degree across Thailand. The research instrument was the questionnaire used to ask the opinions about the factors of new normal appropriate learning model for factors of new normal appropriate learning model for undergraduates. The data were analyzed by using confirmatory factor analysis for this phase. New knowledge gained from the research was new normal appropriate learning model: 2NAL model which consisted of the factors as follows: 1) Content Literacy 2) Intelligence Literacy 3) Digital Literacy 4) Self Literacy5) Collaborative Literacy and 6) Curiosity Literacy. The results were very useful and important in developing new normal appropriate learning model during COVID-19 pandemic for undergraduates of Thai educational institutions in the next phase of the research. Also, it was used for learning management in the digital age with practical application. Keywords: Learning model, New normal, COVID- 19, Confirmatory factor analysis, Educational institutions

Teaching Gerontology in Transcultural Academics: A Phenomenographic Study of Thai and Swedish Nurse Educators' Conceptions of Gerontological Nursing.

Introduction:There is an urgent need for registered nurses with gerontological competence within long-term care (LTC) of older adults. Despite increases of life expectancy, LTC for older adults is not emphasized in nursing curricula in neither Sweden nor Thailand. Thus, the aim was to explore conceptions on gerontological nursing (GN) among Swedish and Thai nurse educators.Method:A qualitative phenomenographic method, based on open-ended interviews with five Thai and nine Swedish nurse educators was conducted.Results:The results indicate a paradox between the educators’ knowledge about the implications of global aging, their hope of own aging, and LTC. The ethical responsibility of being credible and a source of inspiration in teaching about aging are focused, while GN seem to be less important.Discussion:To increase students’ interest in GN, measures need to be taken within the educational arenas, where the educators’ own conceptions toward GN, cultural aspects of aging, and LTC are discussed.

Digital Knowledge Engineering Learning Model for Undergraduates in Thai Educational Institutions

Efficient learning management is the learning that can reflect students' identities through creating work following desirable competencies. It can develop students by providing opportunities to practice thinking about, using, and applying knowledge to real-life situations under the learning management in the digital age. The objectives of this research were to study and analyze the factors of the Digital Knowledge Engineering Learning Model: DKELM discussed by the group of experts who are all teachers from the government educational institutions in Thailand covering all undergraduate programs. The research instrument was a five-point Likert scale questionnaire about DKELM factors for undergraduates. Data were collected from 1,126 questionnaires from the sample group of 1,126 experts. The researchers used IBM SPSS Statistics 14.0 for descriptive statistical analysis and LISREL 8.72 for the second-order confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Each aspect's content validity and reliability were .95 - .97, and each factor's content validity and reliability were .93 - .98. The research was employed by the Nakhon Si Thammarat Rajabhat University students, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Thailand, in 2019-2020. The discovery of the research was DKELM consisting of six knowledge-related processes gained from 18 variables: 1) Creation, 2) Storing, 3) Acquisition, 4) Access, 5) Sharing, and 6) Application. The findings are important and valuable because they can improve DKELM to develop digital and logical thinking skills for undergraduates in Thai educational institutions in the following research phase. Also, they can be used as a model to manage the learning in the digital age to emphasize and reflect the identities of each student through practical experience.

The development of green skills across firms in the institutional context of Thailand

The development of green skills across firms in the institutional context of Thailand