Confidence in teachers declines amid Thailand 4.0 challenges

[webfact]

Confidence in teachers declines amid Thailand 4.0 challenges

By The Nation

 

 

POLL FINDS THAT ROTE-LEARNING STILL SEEN AS A PROBLEM AS EDUCATORS COPE WITH NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND CREATIVE METHODS

 

PUBLIC CONFIDENCE in teachers has slightly dropped from 7.71 to 7.69 points in a recent survey, which was conducted to mark the National Teachers’ Day. 

 

Thailand has designated tomorrow, January 16, as Teachers’ Day. At present, more than half a million Thais teach children at schools across the country. 

 

The confidence scores have taken into account teachers’ personality, abilities, human-relationships skills, debt-free status, emotional control and saving habits in the eyes of more than 8,000 people. 

 

Conducted by the Suan Dusit University between December 25 last year and January 8, the survey asked 8,212 people from various professions about their attitudes towards teachers. 

 

The findings showed that the public appreciated teachers for their attention to their students, patience, diligence and sacrifice. 

 

As Thailand is keen to embrace innovations and new technologies, 20.66 per cent of respondents said they appreciated teachers’ efforts to keep pace with IT trends.

 

Respondents also mentioned perceived flaws of teachers. 

 

Of all respondents, 27.81 per cent complained that teacher-student ties were not as solid as in the past. About 25.4 per cent felt teachers could not control their emotions well and did not understand the children under their charge. Up to 19.87 per cent complained that teachers did not seem to have good teaching techniques and often relied on old methods.

 

When compared with a survey two years ago, public confidence in teachers was higher than the earlier 7.43-point score. 

 

Nida Poll yesterday also released findings from its survey on teachers conducted among 1,253 people across the country between January 10 and 12, which found 26.98 per cent of people believed virtues such as compassion, honesty and integrity were the most important characteristics of teachers. 

 

About 22.82 per cent of the other respondents also mentioned similar answers, emphasising that teachers should serve as role models and pay attention to their teaching mission. 

 

Some 21.79 per cent others said teachers should have teaching skills and abilities to pass on knowledge. 

 

Among other desirable characteristics were willingness to listen to children’s problems, kindness and discipline. 

 

Asked how teachers should adjust themselves towards the “Thailand 4.0” era, 37.19 per cent said teachers should inculcate in their students social skills, virtues and IT knowledge. 

 

Up to 33.36 per cent of respondents also said teachers should adjust their teaching methods and downplay rote-learning. 

 

Pornpimol Boonkote, the winner of the 2017 Khurusapha Award for teachers, said in the Thailand 4.0 era, teachers must change their roles.

 

“Don’t spoon-feed knowledge. You must act as a coach instead,” she said. 

 

Teachers should engage their students in projects related to their interests and guide them in exploring solutions together, she said. 

 

Teaching at Doi Saket Wittayakom School, Pornpimol said it was possible for teachers in various subjects to evaluate students’ knowledge and academic performance via a single project. 

 

Another award-winning teacher was Ratchasak Sawangwaeo who teaches at the Banlaem Wittaya School. Ratchasak has been recognised as outstanding because he taught students about dynamics and aviation science using ornithopters built using rubber bands.

 

Since 2015, his students have competed in at least 35 ornithopter competitions. 

 

Ratchasak’s method of teaching has even engaged children who tend to sit in the back of classroom and fail to pay attention in class. 

 

Education expert Athapol Anunthavorasakul also said recently that the integration of technology into everyday life was central to the lifestyles of young people.

 

“The old way of having teachers just passing on knowledge no longer works,” Athapol said. “Youths now require different skills, such as data verification, data selection for sharing, data production discretion and thinking skills. They will face more risks [in the current era] and must know how to make plans.”

 

Athapol is the director of the Research & Development Centre on Education for Sustainable Development at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Education.

 

TEACHING IN THE NEW ERA

 

What should teachers do to prepare themselves for Thailand 4.0 education? 

37.19% Inculcate students with social skills, virtues and IT knowledge

33.36% Adjust teaching methods, downplay rote-learning

32.64% Upgrade skills and abilities

28.65% Use IT as teaching materials

27.29% Stimulate students’ creativity and innovations

Source: NIDA Poll 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30336237

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-01-15

[dinsdale]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

28.65% Use IT as teaching materials

There's plenty to say on this article but I like this one. Very difficult if the resources do not exist. Sometimes I'll go into a blackboard classroom and there isn't even chalk.

[tonray]

'Nakrien, what do you want to do today ?'

 

'Sa-leep Teacher !'

 

'Teacher can go to toilet ?'

 

'Why are 4 of you going if you're the one that has to go ?"

 

'Ok, Students, take out your notebook and get your homework ready'

 

'Mai Mii Teacher'

[miamiman123]

Unbelievable. If Thais only knew what is happening in the school system. 

The elite Thais know. We can’t have everyone too smart....who would run the 7/11’s and the food stalls?

thats why the elites send their kids to UK and USA to “learn”,

[glasswort]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Some 21.79 per cent others said teachers should have teaching skills and abilities to pass on knowledge. 

Unless I am reading this incorrectly I find it amazing that such a low percentage said that teachers should have teaching skills and abilities to pass on knowledge. I would expect to read that 100% said that teachers must have these skills

 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

teachers should inculcate in their students social skills, virtues and IT knowledge. 

How about care of the environment particularly throwing rubbish anywhere and everywhere?

[wvavin]

What do you expect from the teachers here where they are also the product of the very backward Thai educational system of this world?

[heybuz]

i only see one kid cheating in the photo, whats wrong.

 

[Emster23]

" 37.19% Inculcate students with social skills, virtues and IT knowledge "

Lumping these three together does not make sense, unless one wants to create a bit of fog. For all we know from this perhaps 80% of respondents want kids to IT knowledge and far fewer want social skills and virtues...

Rote learning is fall back strategy to use when teacher has no understanding or knowledge of the subject at hand. I believe that is also why those students who ask questions are seen as troublemakers. As they say in stats: garbage in, garbage out (GIGO)

[Autonuaq]

Regarding technology and related Thailand is facing the same problems and challenges as many western countries had or still have.

Beside that they need to catch up in half a generation.

Do investments in the same short time.

 

And then the culture shock of the changes also brings resistance in people and communities that makes all different then expected.

 

Thailand (asean) is doing in a short time what most western counties did in decades.

 

Some do adapt well others need more time.

[lvr181]

"Educators" also need to be educated and sometimes re-educated!

[Khun Paul]

The goal of any teacher is to equip his/her students so that they can get along without the teacher.

Unfortunately after 10 years teaching and the hundreds of teachers I met and some worked with only about 10% fill that criteria.

here teachers need to be taught , then perhaps the students will learn.

[janpharma]

During many years I never saw a Thai reading a book...but I saw millions of hem playing facebook ...not really enriching.

[decappo]

I taught in a government school for a few months. At one point the administration sat me down and wanted me to just speak with no translations or understanding from the students. I asked them why not roll a television into the classroom? Out of love and respect for the children I gave my 2 week notice. 

[SunsetT]

I would like to know the %age of teaching posts that are purchased here rather than employment based on merit and genuine qualifications.

[Kurtf]

Teachers in Thailand do not inculcate their students with a love of learning. Book reading is not taught or encouraged. The teachers themselves are not taught how to teach. There are no actual teachers universities where teaching skills are taught. I taught English to some kids and half way through the year I asked the kids for everyone that wanted to learn English to raise their hands. Two out of thirty raised their hands. That was the last year I taught at that school. They wouldn't do homework assignments and there was no way to punish them for not doing the assignments. No testing to see if they had mastered any of the requirements and no one was allowed to be left behind to repeat a year. There are a lot of corrections that need to be made to the Thai education system.

[eeworldwide]

The Thai Education system is part of what keeps Thailand the way it is. 

That, and the fact that Thailand will never change because it is made up of Thais.

 

The entire educational system needs to be overhauled, and that can't happen until the entire education cabinet has died off and been replaced by a completely new cabinet with a minister of education who knows something about education.

 

In the 15 years I've been here, there have been ZERO significant changes for the better in the education system.

 

Thais do not value education in the same way that other countries do.

 

On top of that, they completely misinterpreted the meaning of FACEbook, - taking it to literally mean,  a social media platform where you strengthen your face and how the rest of the world views you.

 

I've never seen a country so filled with self obsessed narcissistic teenagers, where an inane photograph of you doing NOTHING but staring into the camera, can gain you 100 likes or more.

 

Phones are allowed in classrooms, kids are live=streaming themselves doing NOTHING in class, before they embark on other 25 minutes of live streaming where the viewer can watch them eating lunch. Yuk.

 

But let's get real for a minute.

 

What are the prospects for hard working Thai students, who are not lucky enough to go to university or college overseas?

 

A 15-18K a month salary with back-breaking hours?

 

That's not a life.

 

The major universities in Thailand are also pretty awful, and exist to make money for the owners and shareholders.

 

Money is king in Thailand, which is ironic, since most people globally make money from working.

 

To get a good job, you need a good education.

 

So - as far as I can see it - nothing is every going to change in Thailand, because, like everything else here, the current systems are deeply entrenched as Thai nature.

 

Unless Thai people change ( how can they?!) then nothing else will change.

 

On a more positive note - perhaps there may be some minor changes in 20 years or so - but don't bet on it.

 

[farcanell]

2 hours ago, heybuz said:

i only see one kid cheating in the photo, whats wrong.

 

The photographer got tired of waiting for that perfect moment

[quandow]

[BernieOnTour]

I know a few younger teachers in their 20's, who regarding knowledge, passion and teaching skills would IMO also fit in a western school. And they are, in a Thai way, maybe more critical about the school system and their older colleagues than all the BM here.

 

The problem here is the "establishment" - hierarchy, greng djai, protection of incompetence and safety net of a Thai governmental organization.

 

Unless they adjust to the system, it is stopping those out, who could improve it.

... not unlikely, it doesn't take long until those younger, committed teachers have burned out and they themselves become part of the "establishment".

[BernieOnTour]

36 minutes ago, eeworldwide said:

Thais do not value education in the same way that other countries do.

IMHO that's a very broad generalization. 

It depends not at least to the background, upbringing and values of the family.

 

The fact, you are citing - parents being prepared to pay for their kids studying abroad, contradicts that statement. The tutors all around the city are another sign.

 

There are a lot of Thais, who value education very high, maybe, even higher than in Europe. And many parents invest a lot of money in the education of their kids, expecting a "return on investment" with good grades from the kids - different to some European countries, where free education is taken for granted and parents are somewhat indifferent to invest time and money by themselves.

[chilli42]

I guess development of critical thinking skills and problem solving did not make the list.  Guess that heavy lifting will have to be left to the Pu Yai.

[anono222]

I used to try to inculcate students until admin told me to stop it and reassigned me to an inactive post!

 

[marqus12]

I know a Thai teacher in a private school who almost did not go on a

school trip to China because he did not want to fill out the visa application

as his wife said just in his own way ... so he applied for visas 3 times .

[Cranky]

Thais, like most Asians, place a tremendous value on education.  Check out the number of International Schools in Bangkok; they could not thrive if it were not for Thai customers investing fortunes in educating their kids.

 

What they do not want is the Hoi Polloi getting a decent education to threaten the status quo.

[Cranky]

1 minute ago, Benroon said:

Just love the picture of the boy being busted for cheating before the whole nation ?

He's not being busted though, he's getting extra marks for initiative and getting the job done more efficiently leaving more time for facebook.

[anon789561]

3 hours ago, heybuz said:

i only see one kid cheating in the photo, whats wrong.

 

first thing i noticed too 555

[janpharma]

As long as "teachers" can buy their job, just for having a government guaranteed income...the results will never improve...

[TKDfella]

3 hours ago, Autonuaq said:

Regarding technology and related Thailand is facing the same problems and challenges as many western countries had or still have.

Beside that they need to catch up in half a generation.

Do investments in the same short time.

 

And then the culture shock of the changes also brings resistance in people and communities that makes all different then expected.

 

Thailand (asean) is doing in a short time what most western counties did in decades.

 

Some do adapt well others need more time.

In addition (as I have mentioned on other related threads) Thai schools can't expect to spend long hours teach traditional dancing etc. and expect to keep pace with the changing and challenging world. I have several friends who are teachers at various levels and one day last week, at one particular school, all teachers and students spent a whole morning practicing Thai dance. I was told that all teachers must attend after school dance instruction (until 8 pm I think) 2 days a week. I can understand this for teachers whose specialty is Thai dance...but all teachers??? Home work and other academic essentials go 'out of the window' so to speak. I do believe that culture should not be forgotten but it should be left to other institutions to maintain it. Science, Mathematics and Technology, as we all know, are advancing at an ever increasing rate and children today will face even more challenges than those before them.

[TEFLKrabi]

3 hours ago, janpharma said:

During many years I never saw a Thai reading a book...but I saw millions of hem playing facebook ...not really enriching.

Think you'll find that's the case around most of the world, not just Thailand.

[digger70]

10 hours ago, dinsdale said:

There's plenty to say on this article but I like this one. Very difficult if the resources do not exist. Sometimes I'll go into a blackboard classroom and there isn't even chalk.

Now that's a very poor excuse,You can Teach or you Can't. One should not be allowed to teach in Thailand if one doesn't Speak thai ,for one simple reason One Can't Explain anything ,,,,not good if one just wave ones hands,,,,   (: