Universities In Thailand Research Articles

The interaction of organizational politics and political skill on employees' exposure to workplace cyberbullying: the conservation of resources theory perspective

PurposeConsidering the detrimental impact of workplace cyberbullying on employees and organizations, it is necessary to understand factors that potentially induce employees to engage in cyberbullying and to recognize personal characteristics that may help employees mitigate its impact. This research applies the conservation of resources (COR) theory to investigate the effect of organizational politics and political skill on employees' exposure to workplace cyberbullying as well as to analyze the subsequent impact on emotional exhaustion. Moreover, the interaction effect of political skill and organizational politics on employees' exposure to workplace cyberbullying is analyzed.Design/methodology/approachThe total of 358 complete questionnaires were obtained from one medium-sized public university in Thailand. The partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze the data.FindingsThe analysis supports the positive association between organizational politics and employees' exposure to workplace cyberbullying. Employees' exposure to workplace cyberbullying also has a positive association with emotional exhaustion. On the other hand, the analysis showed that political skill has a negative association with employees' exposure to workplace cyberbullying. The result from the moderating effect analysis further shows that political skill also reduces the impact of organizational politics on employees' exposure to workplace cyberbullying.Originality/valueThe incorporation of the COR theory provides theoretical insight into how political skill of employees can buffer the impact of organizational politics on exposure to workplace cyberbullying. It advances the knowledge found in previous research that lacked solid theory to explain the interaction between organizational politics and political skill of employees in the area of workplace cyberbullying.

Understanding students’ self-regulated learning and anxiety in online English courses in higher education

There is presently little known about students' use of SRL strategies and anxiety levels and the effects on learning outcomes overall and for specific skills in fully synchronous online English classes. Thus, this study explored 171 first-year non-English major students at an autonomous university in Thailand who had completed their first fully online courses for 12 weeks taught by foreign English lecturers. As measures, online self-regulated learning, students' anxiety in English learning, and course outcomes were employed by means of a mixed-method design. The findings revealed students' high use of SRL strategies and their significant contribution to their online learning outcomes. Nevertheless, students' anxiety levels were not a significant predictor of learning outcomes and could not dictate SRL strategies in online classes. These findings occurred among female and male students equally. This study observed an instrumental role of SRL strategies in students’ online accomplishments in their first online learning experience. In conclusion, the current research highlights the crucial role of SRL strategies in online English language learning and provides valuable insights for language educators in designing effective pedagogical interventions. It suggests that SRL is not only important for achieving learning outcomes but also requires continuous monitoring and support from teachers and peers. Additionally, the study indicates that gender differences in SRL may not be significant in the context of synchronous online English classes. These findings have significant implications for the development of effective pedagogical practices for online language learning and underscore the need for further research in this area.

Analysis and Prediction of Student Performance Based on Moodle Log Data using Machine Learning Techniques

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, many universities in Thailand were mostly locked down and classrooms were also transformed into a fully online format. It was challenging for teachers to manage online learning and especially to track student behavior since the teacher could not observe and notify students. To alleviate this problem, one solution that has become increasingly important is the prediction of student performance based on their log data. This study, therefore, aims to analyze student behavior data by applying Predictive Analytics through Moodle Log for approximately 54,803 events. Six Machine Learning Classifiers (Neural Network, Random Forest, Decision Tree, Logistic Regression, Linear Regression, and Support Vector Machine) were applied to predict student performance. Further, we attained a comparison of the effectiveness of early prediction for four stages at 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of the course. The prediction models could guide future studies, motivate self-preparation and reduce dropout rates. In the experiment, the model with 5-fold cross-validation was evaluated. Results indicated that the Decision Tree performed best at 81.10% upon course completion. Meanwhile, the SVM had the best result at 86.90% at the first stage, at 25% of the course, and Linear Regression performed with the best efficiency at the middle stages at 70.80%, and 80.20% respectively. The results could be applied to other courses and on a larger e-learning systems log that has similar student activity conditions and this could contribute to more accurate student performance prediction.

Radiation and Emission Phenomena in Combination

Radiation and Emission Phenomena in Combination

The effects of integrating digital storytelling with metacognition strategies (DSTMC) learning model to enhance communication abilities

Communication skills are soft skills critical for students’ development in educational institutions in the digital age. This study aims to determine the feasibility and practicality of a learning model, which combines digital storytelling with a metacognitive strategy called the DSTMC model. This learning model utilized digital storytelling as a primary learning step and integrated metacognitive strategies to monitor the thinking process to improve students’ communication, such as listening, speaking, reading, writing, and presentation skills. The research was conducted through case studies at a regional, southern Thailand university. The data were collected from 30 undergraduate participants. The research instruments were expert validation, pre-/post-test data, and a self-assessment questionnaire. The study showed that the DSTMC learning model is an alternative teaching method to improve communication skills, including listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The results of students’ test scores and self-assessments provide significant evidence indicating that it increases their learning and retention of information. The paper concludes with suggestions for using various strategies and motivating activities to encourage learners’ communication proficiency. Future research should investigate the creation of a system to track how learners improve their communication skills.

The Prevalence and Associated Factors of Depression among Residents in Training in a Northern Thailand University: A Cross-sectional Study

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of and factors associated with depression in residents in training at the Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University. METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted with Faculty of Medicine residents in training from March to July 2020. We used the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) to determine the level of depression. Binary logistic regression was used to evaluate associated factors: loneliness, burnout, sleep quality, emotional quotients (EQ), and perceived social support (PSS). RESULTS About one-fifth of the residents in training exhibited depression (47 of 201), and 6.97% had indications of suicidality. Factors showing a positive correlation with depression included loneliness (aOR: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.15-1.40); burnout scales of depersonalization (aOR: 1.18; 95% CI: 1.10-1.25), and reduced personal accomplishment (aOR: 1.10; 95% CI: 1.05-1.14). Factors showed a negative correlation with depression: perceived social support from significant others (aOR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.85-0.98). Three subscales of EQ included motivation (aOR: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.68-0.99); life satisfaction (aOR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.70-0.97); level of peace (aOR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.66-0.87). CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of depression in residents was 23.40%. Loneliness, low social support, and burnout (depersonalization, reduced personal accomplishment) were all associated with depression. Three EQ factors (motivation, life satisfaction, and peace) appeared to have potential for reducing depression. KEYWORDS depression, resident training, loneliness, emotional intelligence, burnout

The Development of a Counseling Service Questionnaire: Study of Validation and Reliability

The study developed items of a counseling service questionnaire to aid counselors and universities in supporting students’ mental health. The participants of this study were 1,022 Chinese college students from three universities in Thailand. The questionnaire included development items and content validity and reliability testing. The questionnaire contained 17 items covering four aspects: (1) developmental counseling; (2) adaptive counseling; (3) disorder counseling; and (4) intervention in psychological crises. The results showed that the counseling services questionnaire is a valid and reliable instrument that can be used to determine students’ mental health.

EFL Student-Directed Feedback for Improving Academic Writing Skills in Thailand

Exploring how written corrective feedback can help learners optimize their writing skills has always been an interest to teachers in the field of English language teaching. This action research involves a group of 28 intermediate English as Foreign Language students in the English as a Foreign Language Grammar course with an emphasis on academic writing development at an international university in Thailand. The study focuses on two academic essays produced by the learners over a 14-week semester in which students are required to submit two drafts of each of the essays on the assigned topics. Student-Directed Feedback is used to allow the students to choose between various delivery formats for the feedback and ask some specific questions about their work to which the students need answering. With questionnaires also surveying students’ attitudes given at the end of the course, it is revealed that Student-Directed Feedback has had perceived positive effects on most of the students in terms of feedback particularity, personalisation and higher learner autonomy.

Recurrence Rate of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo – A Multicenter Survey

Background: Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is a common peripheral vestibular disease. However, the data on the recurrence rate of this condition is lacking. The objectives of this study were to estimate the recurrence rate and factors for the recurrence of BPPV. Methods: This multicenter survey was conducted at the Otorhinolaryngology Clinic, Mahasarakham Hospital, and Srinagarind Hospital, Khon Kaen University in Thailand. From 2016 to 2021, patients with evidence of remission indicated by no nystagmus during an otolaryngologist examination at the last outpatient visit were recruited. The survey was conducted to assess the recurrence, severity, and risk factors of the recurrence. Results: 84 patients participated in this study. All of the patients were followed up after the resolution of the disease to evaluate for the recurrence rate of BPPV. The recurrence rate of BPPV was 27.38%. The mean time to the first recurrence event was 4.47 months. The dizziness handicap index score and visual analog scale score were significantly decreased between baseline and the first recurrence event (p < 0.05). Factors such as age, gender, and comorbidities including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia were not significantly different between the recurrence group and control group (p = 0.248, 0.128, 0.369, 0.651, 0.537). Conclusions: Around 1 in 3 BPPV patients can suffer from a relapse. There was no significant risk factor for the recurrence of BPPV in this study.

Comment on “The Evolution of University–Industry Linkages in Thailand”

Many developing countries including those in East Asian region have been interested in the way to stimulate university industry linkages (UILs) in order to resume their economic growth and to improve their innovation capabilities, which are seen as a key to escaping from the middle income trap (Yusuf & Nabeshima, 2007). Intarakumnerd and Jutarosaga (2023) focus on UILs in Thailand and examine how changes in the higher education sectors in Thailand have contributed to broadening the relationships with firms in key sectors in Thailand. They review the reforms implemented in the higher education system in Thailand and describe in detail various efforts that have been introduced to stimulate UILs in Thailand. The discussion of the higher education system is supplemented by a discussion of the research and development (R&D) activities of firms based on the Thai R&D and Innovation Survey and a detailed look at three strategic sectors for Thailand: the automotive, hard disk drive, and pharmaceutical industries. Intarakumnerd and Jutarosaga find that much of the interactions between universities and firms center around skill development and relative few activities focus on research. They conclude that UILs in Thailand remain weak, even though UILs have become more sophisticated and interactions between universities and firms have increased compared to the past. While Intarakumnerd and Jutarosaga presents the current state-of-affairs in terms of UILs in Thailand, it would be helpful to deepen the discussion relating to the following points. First, the paper could include more assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the instruments that have been introduced recently in Thailand to encourage UILs. A study by Brimble and Doner (2007) identifies the lack of R&D by firms, the lack of incentives and support for universities, and the slow bureaucracy as the likely causes for the lack of UILs in Thailand. From that time, according to Intarakumnerd and Jutarosaga (2023), the government has introduced a number of efforts to stimulate UILs. While some improvements are seen among universities in terms of more emphasis on research, the interactions between universities and firms are not as forthcoming as expected. More discussion on why firms do not utilize these initiatives, despite the fact that compared to the past more firms are engaging in innovation activities in general, would be quite helpful. Second, the paper could discuss the presence of multinational firms in Thai industries in terms of UILs in more depth. Thailand has been successful in rapid industrialization, mainly through foreign direct investment. In many cases, the innovation activities of foreign subsidiaries are conducted in the home country (or other “hot spot” locations), it is not necessary to conduct them where the actual production is located. According to Intarakumnerd and Jutarosaga, there does not seem much difference among the local and foreign subsidiary firms in their propensity to engage in innovation activities (about 45% of local and foreign subsidiary firms). However, their focuses are slightly different. According to Intarakumnerd and Jutarosaga, local firms tend to engage in more upstream R&D, whereas foreign subsidiaries are more active in product/process innovation. This may be one reason why much of the UILs in Thailand are focused on training rather than R&D, especially those involving multinational firms. Multinational firms are willing to collaborate with local universities and training institutes for training purposes since they need to have access to skilled workers local. Indeed, multinational firms in the automotive and hard drive sectors have been collaborating with universities in Thailand on the training side (Brimble & Doner, 2007). These differences in their focuses could lead to the different approaches taken by firms to engage with universities and Intarakumnerd and Jutarosaga could explore more of how the presence of foreign subsidiaries affect the type of UILs, their impacts on local-owned firms, and subsequently the innovation capabilities of firms in developing countries. However, there are some signs that the innovation conditions and UILs may improve in the future. Even though about 90% of the patent applications are made by non-resident applicants (the entity that holds the legal rights to the invention), about 10% of such patents include local inventors (persons who engaged in invention activities) including those belonging to multinational firms. Among the domestic applicants, public research institutes and universities are increasing their presence (Motohashi, 2020). According to data from the World Development Indicators, R&D expenditure in Thailand has expanded quite rapidly from 0.25% of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2001 to 1.1% in 2019. Thus, the underlying innovation activities in Thailand is expanding and there is some scope for broadening and deepening UILs in Thailand. How to stimulate innovation activities and UILs in a country where the industrialization was driven by foreign direct investment is an important issue to examine, and such research findings will be quite relevant to Thailand and other countries in Southeast Asia.

The Role of English in Sino-Thai Cooperation: A Case Study of the People-to-People Exchange Jingshi Project at a University in Thailand

This paper presents the findings of the work in progress on investigation on the role of English used in cooperation between two counterparts, China and Thailand, derived from the Sino-Thai project entitled “People-to-People Exchange”, or known as “Jingshi Project.” This preliminary study aimed to identify a variety of the use of English at work, the data of which were administered by a questionnaire and follow-up interviews were conducted to find out in more detail on particular subtopics. The purposive sampling method was used to select the questionnaire respondents in this study, comprising 30 of both Chinese and Thai staff members working under the project during the Thai academic year of 2022. Four interviewees voluntarily participated in the follow-up interviews conducted afterwards. The data were analysed using frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, while the content analysis was used to interpret the interview data. The findings reveal the importance of English in relation to live meetings, document writing, presentations, business trips, and chatting informally on social media. Communication breakdowns often occur when the staff had difficulties communicating in English effectively via their conversational skills. Of the four macro skills, reading is the most commonly used in the cooperation, while the other three skills of listening, speaking, and writing need more attention for language skill improvement. Implications for the upskill training should put an emphasis on the context where the personnel work, English skills they need to improve, and the type of texts or specific situations they are exposed to in the Sino-Thai cooperation.

Key Determinants of Job Satisfaction among University Lecturers

Creating job satisfaction for employees can help organizations maintain their employees and save more on costs from searching for new ones. Therefore, a primary goal of this research was to investigate how work–family conflict, workload, and job stress influenced university lecturers’ work satisfaction. To accomplish the current aim, researchers invited 450 respondents who were holding positions as lecturers at any university in Thailand. Next, a structural equation model was employed to analyze 387 valid data points. In gender statistics, 45.2% were male respondents while 54.8% were female respondents. Moreover, gender obtained mean scores (1.54) with standard deviation scores (0.49). Based on age statistics, most of the respondents who joined this research were between 20 and 30 years old (41.3%) followed by 31–41 years (24.5%), 41–50 years (19.9%), and above 50 years (14.2%). Meanwhile, mean scores were 2.07 with standard deviation 1.09. According to results of this research, increasing work–family conflict and workload caused lecturers to receive more stress from their work. Moreover, the lecturers found themselves happy once certain degrees of stress and work–family conflict, except workload, diminished. Meanwhile, stress among university lecturers significantly mediated their workloads and work satisfaction. This result highlights a side effect of a certain amount of workload influencing lecturers’ stress levels, which in turn increased the significant role of job stress in further influencing lecturers’ work satisfaction.

Exploring problem-solving through the intervention of technology and Realistic Mathematics Education in the Calculus content course

In Thai mathematics classrooms, there is a lack of attention to support students’ mathematical problem-solving skills by working from real-world contexts that make sense to students. This study aimed to investigate how pre-service mathematics teachers’ problem solving can be explored in their content course, intervening with technology and Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) through the Mean Value Theorem (MVT) lesson. The study included nine pre-service mathematics teachers purposively selected from a public university in Thailand who attended a Calculus course. Data was collected from classroom artifacts, observation notes, and interviews. It was found in this study that the intervention of technology and RME in pre-service mathematics teachers’ content courses has the potential to build pre-service mathematics teachers’ problem-solving abilities. It was also discussed that the intervention could use RME to conceptualize mathematics theorem and cultivate Polya’s problem-solving steps. The findings provide light on the efficacy of using technology and RME in enhancing problem-solving skills among other content courses and could be used to inform the creation of mathematics curricula and instructional strategies in undergraduate content courses for mathematics education programs.

Whose English should be talked and taught? Views from international English teachers in Thai higher education

This qualitative study aimed to explore the perceptions of 12 international English teachers (from the UK, the USA, Australia, Indonesia, and the Philippines at four universities in Thailand) towards World Englishes (WE), Thai English (TE), and the feasibility of incorporating WE into English language teaching (ELT) classrooms. Based on semi-structured interviews and qualitative content analysis, findings revealed that the participants demonstrated positive views and did not deny the existence of WE and TE, although their rules, vocabularies, pronunciations, and accents diverge from British English (BrE) and American English (AmE). Furthermore, the participants regarded different English varieties as symbols and representations that reflect users’ cultural and national identities. For implementations in ELT, while the majority disapproved, valued unequally, marginalized, and questioned the legitimacy of WE, others viewed that allowing learners to experience English diversity would be a sound preparation for changes in English linguistic landscapes and the realistic use of today’s English.

Factors Associated with Knowledge and Attitude towards E-Cigarettes among Undergraduate Students in Thailand: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Thailand government has enacted a ban on vaping for eight years, but the number of vapers has continued to increase, particularly among teenagers. This study aimed to evaluate undergraduate pharmacy students' knowledge and attitudes toward e-cigarette use in Thailand. This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed between January and March 2022. The participants were selected from 14 universities of Thailand. For data collection, a questionnaire was developed online using Google Form. The participants had to complete the questionnaire within 5 to 10 days the via s. Chi-square and binary logistic analysis were used to assess the association between variables. A total of 507 participants were recruited, The participants' mean age was 20.6 ± 1.9 years. About 98.6% of the participants knew about e-cigarette, and 74.4% had never been taught about e-cigarettes. Moreover, 68.8% of the participants declared that people around them were smokers. Logistic regression analysis indicated that the participants who declared that they were not sure if e-cigarettes contains nicotine or not were 10.5 more likely to consume e-cigarettes (AOR = 10.5; 95 % CI 3.130-35.181; P ˂0.001). Male participants who were at the academic year of three and four were more likely to use e-cigarettes than female students who were at the academic year of five and six (AOR 2.9; 95 % CI 1.599-5.214; P ˂0.001; AOR = 4.5; 95 % CI 1.412-14.571; P ˂0.001; AOR = 3.9; 95 % CI 1.263-12.511; p = 0.018). OOur study findings showed that pharmacy students lacked knowledge about e-cigarettes and misunderstood about e-cigarettes substances. Future research is necessary to develop educational programs for health professionals to be ready to advise patients about e-cigarettes.

Examining Factors Influencing Students’ Acceptance of Online Learning during COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from Thailand

This study examines factors influencing students’ acceptance of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand. A self-administered questionnaire gathered from 398 students from two universities in Thailand was analysed via multiple regression analysis using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23. This approach was utilized to evaluate eleven hypotheses. The results revealed that perceived usefulness was the predominant factor that affected students’ actual use, readiness, and motivation to use online learning. The findings indicate that when the online learning system and online content are of good quality, students will perceive online learning as valuable, which will result in more actual usage. These students would accept that it is a suitable method for completing homework, obtaining information from the Internet, and learning the English language. This study makes significant contributions to advancing the understanding of factors influencing students’ acceptance of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand by applying the technology acceptance model (TAM) as the guiding principle. Thailand's online learning delivery system could benefit from these empirical findings, which could be used to develop guidelines to improve its effectiveness. Directions for future research are also presented.

The nutrition-environment nexus assessment of Thai Riceberry product for supporting environmental product declaration

AbstractRiceberry rice has a special characteristic of being specially bred with high nutrients. High-value added products from riceberry are being promoted targeting health-conscious consumers. To provide supporting information for sustainable food systems, environmental footprinting was applied for evaluating the environmental performance of a ready-to-eat product of riceberry rice mixed with kidney red bean called “Riceberry + KU”, developed by Kasetsart University in Thailand. Based on sold unit as the unit of analysis, the carbon footprint of Riceberry + KU was 5.24 gCO2e per 300 g. Interestingly, white rice had the highest carbon footprint and riceberry rice as well as the riceberry product had at least 30% lower values. However, using nutrient-based scores, although white rice still had the highest carbon footprint, Riceberry + KU had 80% lower and the riceberry rice had 65% lower values. This resulted from the highest nutritional levels found in Riceberry + KU along with the lower greenhouse gas emissions from riceberry field during the cultivation stage. Similar trends were found in the other impact categories assessed by using life cycle assessment as well. To provide appropriate information to consumers for making more sustainable food choices, the environmental performance based on nutrient quality resulting from different farming systems and processing methods should be used to derive recommendations for moving toward sustainable food systems. The nutrition-environment nexus assessment could be very useful for supporting consumers toward making more sustainable food choices.

An IDEF0 Functional Planning Model for the Development of an Asset Management Framework: A Case Study of Chiang Mai University

Asset management (AM) focuses on the life cycle of assets and provides a systematic process for developing and maintaining an organisation’s assets using a set of asset-related planning and control activities. Chiang Mai University (CMU) is a public university in Thailand founded in 1964. The university was the first provincial university in Thailand and aims to be the university of prototyped innovation for sustainable development in communities. CMU’s AM planning process is a critical aspect of its mission to develop the university. This study developed an asset management framework (AMF) based on IDEF0 functional modelling – a modelling process that facilitates the decisions, actions and activities of an organisation or system. Moreover, the study used an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to perform pairwise comparison, produce matrices and calculate priorities for CMU’s assets. The researchers employed a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis to evaluate the organisation’s competitive position and support its strategic planning. This study presents the resulting of CMU’s AMF (AMF-CMU), the development of which contributed to prioritising and managing the university’s assets.

Management factors that influence the transportation instructor quality development of Universities in Thailand

The purpose of this research was to investigate management factors that influence the transportation Instructor quality development of universities in Thailand. The studied population consisted of 560 administrators and lecturers by their respective positions (i.e. Dean, Head of Department, and full-time lecturers) from universities under the Ministry of Education. Data were analyzed using Stepwise Multiple Regression Analysis with F-statistics and Adjusted R2 to find the factors affecting transportation instructor quality development. The results revealed that factors such as organizational culture and learning organization have an influence on universities’ transportation instructor quality in terms of teaching and research at the 0.05 significance level. Therefore, there should be promotion of organizational cultures, including aspects such as participation, harmony, adaptibility, and mission-oriented mindsets, using them as guidelines for organizational management. At the same time, administrators at all levels should create awareness among the lecturers about the importance of developing academic performance and clarify the criteria.

Developing innovative learning management to develop characteristics and skills Student of Bangkok Thonburi University in Thailand

Developing innovative learning management to develop characteristics and skills Student of Bangkok Thonburi University in Thailand