Thai Primary School Research Articles

TEFL Training Program for Local and Cultural-based Instruction: Case Studies in Thai Primary Schools

The main purpose of this study is to develop an EFL Training Program based on the combination of three theories: reflective teaching, brain-based learning, and school-based training. The program was voluntarily applied by ten elementary teachers from Surin province, Thailand. The program included competency assessment, EFL competency enhancement, EFL teaching activities development and practices, and program evaluation. The activity created positive impacts to the EFL teaching particularly students in the program asserted that there is a better environment of EFL study than their previous experiences. All directors have assigned their EFL teachers to continue using this model in teaching EFL.

Collaborative Educational Game for Thai Primary School Students

English language, Mathematics and Science for life are mandatory subjects for Thai students to finish their primary school studies. Regarding the unsatisfied result of the annual assessment, there are many students fail those subjects every year. This paper thus proposes the educational computer game to enhance learning of English language, Mathematics and Sciences subjects. The proposed game employs the concept of collaborative learning integrated into the game to promote the better understanding of contents and the familiarization of team work experience, while the players are still filled with the joy and the challenge. The proposed game is designed as a multi-players online game. All players compete among each other to be a leader and conduct the game along with help from team members to achieve the goal. The developed game is evaluated with 2 aspects including the learning efficiency and the satisfaction of students. The empirical study is conducted with 100 students from 3 different primary schools in Chiang Rai, Thailand. These students are divided into 2 groups including the group playing game individually and collaboratively respectively. The first group has 25 students while the second group has 15 groups with 5 students per each. The results reveal that, the students playing game collaboratively can achieve higher learning efficiency than the students playing game individually. Moreover, the collaborative game obtains Good satisfaction level by the students.

Participatory Action Project in Reducing Childhood Obesity in Thai Primary Schools

The project aimed to improve nutrition and activity among primary schoolchildren via targeted activities. A preliminary nutritional survey was carried out involving 5126 children in 4 Bangkok public schools. Participatory action research involving students, teachers, and parents was conducted. After a 2-day training course, teachers integrated project concepts into their course curriculum. Seminars on weight management were given separately to parents and students. After 8 months, postnutritional survey was conducted. Preprogram and postprogram evaluation of obese and normal groups was done using questionnaires on dietary intake and exercise. showed that high caloric dietary intake significantly decreased for the obese group (P < .001). Aerobic exercise activity also increased in both groups (P < .001) and prevalence of obesity declined from 19.3% to 16.8%. Thus, a long-term, participatory effort to promote healthy diets and physical exercise could be effective with primary school students and may establish habits that last to later life.

Supplement of three eggs a week improves protein malnutrition in Thai children from rural areas

Our goal was to compare nutritional status on serum proteins and lipids, and to determine the effect of egg supplements in primary school students aged 6–15 years. 417 children were randomized to an addition of either three or ten eggs per week to their basal diets for 12 weeks. Anthropometric and biochemical indices were continuously monitored. 29.1% and 20.8% of the participants had evidence of protein malnutrition according to low serum albumin and prealbumin levels, respectively. Albumin and prealbumin levels positively correlated with total cholesterol and LDL‐C levels. No difference in any biochemical index was found comparing 3 vs 10 eggs/wk. During egg supplement, total cholesterol, LDL and ratio of total cholesterol to HDL levels decreased by 6.4±1.8, 19.3±2.5 and 28.5±2.1% in three eggs diet and by 8.0±1.9, 15.7±3.0 and 31.2±1.9% in 10 eggs diet, respectively (p &lt; 0.001). Albumin, prealbumin and HDL levels all the significantly increased (p &lt; 0.001). Our study demonstrated that in Thailand there are still primary school students with protein malnutrition in rural areas. Supplement of at least 3 eggs/wk can effectively correct parameters of protein malnutrition in Thai primary school students, and have beneficial outcomes on blood lipid levels.Supported by National Research Council of Thailand 2549Grant Funding Source: The ASN/Procter &amp; Gamble Graduate Student Research Awards Competition

Vocabulary Learning Strategies by Thai Primary School Students

The study surveyed vocabulary learning strategies of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s (BMA) primary school students and their problems in vocabulary learning. A questionnaire was distributed to 50 Pratom 6 students (aged 11-12) and 10 of them were further selected for a follow-up semi-structured interview. The findings indicated that most students realized the importance of vocabulary learning and they had encountered new words from various sources. However, they did not devote enough time to vocabulary learning and this strongly affected their lexical development. Moreover, many of them relied heavily on rote learning rather than other strategies. Their vocabulary learning problems were also related to their negative attitudes and poor English background as well as lack of support from their teachers, parents and peers. Therefore, teachers and parents need to work cooperatively to support their learning and to deal with negative attitudes. Also, students should be trained with a variety of effective vocabulary learning strategies in order to maximize their potential for language learning.

Hypercholesterolemia in Thai primary school children: Relation to maternal and nutritional factors

There is evidence to show that atherosclerosis can occur in young children and that elevated total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations are risk factors for atherosclerosis. The aim of the present cross-sectional study was to investigate the influence of maternal and nutritional factors on blood cholesterol in primary school children. One hundred and ninety-five population-based mother-child pairs (obese child-overweight mother pairs, n = 60; obese child-normal-weight mother pairs, n = 48; wasted child-overweight mother pairs, n = 37; normal-weight child-normal-weight mother pairs, n = 50), were enrolled in the study. Various anthropometric parameters were measured and serum lipids of subjects were further determined. Biological data and children's eating behavior were obtained from the mothers through interviews. Hypercholesterolemia was found in 64.6-65% of obese children, 24.3% of wasted children and in 56% of the normal-weight children; whereas the proportion of children in all groups who had normal blood cholesterol levels was in the lower range. Multivariate logistic regression indicated that mother's serum cholesterol (odds ratio [OR], 2.41; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.12-4.78), child obesity defined by weight-for-height Z-score > +2SD (OR, 2.56; 95%CI: 1.33-4.98), and child's energy intake >/=75th percentile (OR, 2.59; 95%CI: 1.01-6.66) were the significant factors associated with hypercholesterolemia in children. Hypercholesterolemia in school children is associated with familial factor, bodyweight and nutrient intake. Elevated blood cholesterol was also found in some of the normal-weight and wasted children. Effective family-based intervention programs are urgently needed to modify risk factors predisposing to coronary heart disease.

A sociodental approach to assessing children's oral health needs: integrating an oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) measure into oral health service planning

We adopted a sociodental approach to assess the real dental needs of Thai primary school children, and integrated an oral health-related quality of life measure (OHRQoL) into oral health service planning. We then compared the results of this sociodental assessment with standard estimates of a child's oral health needs. We developed a new model of sociodental needs assessment and used it to assess the level of impact that various oral health conditions have on the everyday lives of school children. We then carried out a cross-sectional study of all grade-6 children (11-12 years old) in Suphan-buri Province, Thailand. We examined the sample (n = 1034) to assess the children's oral health and then we interviewed each child individually to assess what impact any dental conditions he or she may have on their quality of life. This assessment was done using an OHRQoL indicator, the Child Oral Impacts on Daily Performances index (child-OIDP). We integrated the results obtained using this indicator with those estimates obtained using more traditional, standard clinical methods, in order to generate a clearer picture of exactly which non-progressive dental conditions really needed treatment. These results take into account the impact those conditions have on the overall well-being of children and their ability to function normally and unimpeded. We were then able to prioritize their dental needs according to the severity of disruption caused in their daily lives. Using standard or "normative" estimates of dental health care needs, the children's need was 98.8%. This level of need decreased signifi cantly to 39.5% when adopting the sociodental approach (P <0.001). Overall, per 100 children with a standard or normative need for dental treatment, only 40 had a sociodental need for treatment when taking into account the impact their condition has on their everyday lives. Children thus identifi ed as requiring treatment were further categorized according to the severity of impact their condition had: 7.2% had severe, 10.3% moderate and 22.0% had minor impacts on OHRQoL. There was a marked difference between the standard normative and the sociodental needs assessment approach, with the latter approach showing a 60% lower assessment of dental health care needs in Thai 11-12-year-old children. Different levels of "impacts" on daily life can be used to prioritize children with needs.

The prevalence and severity of oral impacts on daily performances in Thai primary school children

BackgroundTraditional methods of measuring oral health mainly use clinical dental indices and have been complemented by oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) measures. Most OHRQoL studies have been on adults and elderly populations. There are no systematic OHRQoL studies of a population-based sample of children. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence, characteristics and severity of oral impacts in primary school children.MethodsCross-sectional study of all 1126 children aged 11–12 years in a municipal area of Suphanburi province, Thailand. An OHRQoL measure, Child-Oral Impacts on Daily Performances index (Child-OIDP) was used to assess oral impacts. Children were also clinically examined and completed a self-administered questionnaire about demographic information and oral behaviours.Results89.8% of children had one or more oral impacts. The median impact score was 7.6 and mean score was 8.8. Nearly half (47.0%) of the children with impacts had impacts at very little or little levels of intensity. Most (84.8%) of those with impacts had 1–4 daily performances affected (out of 8 performances). Eating was the most common performance affected (72.9%). The severity of impacts was high for eating and smiling and low for study and social contact performances. The main clinical causes of impacts were sensitive tooth (27.9%), oral ulcers (25.8%), toothache (25.1%) and an exfoliating primary tooth (23.4%).ConclusionsThe study reveals that oral health impacts on quality of life in Thai primary school children. Oral impacts were prevalent, but not severe. The impacts mainly related to difficulty eating and smiling. Toothache, oral ulcers and natural processes contributed largely to the incidence of oral impacts.