Students Want Friendly Teachers: ABAC Poll

[webfact]

ABAC Poll: Students want friendly teachers

BANGKOK, 30 April 2011 (NNT) – Students prefer teachers who possess good human relationship with their students and have no discrimination, according to a recent survey by Assumption University Research Center (ABAC Poll).

Director of the Academic Network for Community Happiness Observation and Research, Assumption University, Dr Noppadon Kannikar reported the survey were conducted with 3,284 children and youth aged between 7 and 20 in Bangkok and other major cities across the country. The respondents were asked about their experience with teachers in each subject and to pick out their five most favorites.

The result showed 25.8% of the respondents preferred mathematics teachers, followed by Thai language teachers 19.5%, science teachers12.4%, English teachers 9.9% and social science teachers 8.2%.

Some of the respondents indicated that they had bad experience with teachers who were unfriendly, bad-tempered and unable to control their emotions. Dr Noppadon stated that teachers who were unfriendly and showed threatening attitudes were found affecting students’ desire to learn and intellectual development.

The respondents also said they found some teachers showed bad examples for students such as drinking alcohol, smoking or gambling. The respondents rated those teachers as worse than those who could not teach well or lack proper knowledge.

The poll director suggested that teachers should reform their relations with students and turn their class into sessions to share and learn together in order to reduce discrepancy in class. They should respect students’ identity in order to bring out their intellectual creativity.

-- NNT 2011-04-30

[lungdavid]

all that is fine and dandy, if you are not teaching in a Tessabarn school with 57 kids in a class, and 1/2 of them are not gang members

[Scott]

Where do they come up with these questions for polls?

In general, I think most people like other people who are friendly and control their emotions--even on internet forums!

It's well known that you attract more bees with honey than with vinegar. The question, if one can be asked, is: What is the relationship between learning (scores, exams etc.) and the personality traits of the teacher?

What is the relationship between the level of learning and the educational level of the teacher?

What is the relationship between the level of learning and class size?

etc.

Enough of happy, happy, sabai, sabai!

[rodentwarrior]

Thai's talking about not wanting discrimination, that's too funny for words.

[thaicbr]

I'm just happy if the students actually bring a pen and notebook to class.

[Rhys]

I'm just happy if the students actually bring a pen and notebook to class.

Teachers would like students in class..not the ones who take up space...teachers would like students who don't use their cell phones in class, while during lecture...teachers get tired of hearing a space taker who has not done any assignments or homework, asking for extra credit and is their any thing I can do.. and the..classic do you know who my father is...teachers would like the MOE to have qualified teaching Adminstrators, not political appointment proxys..teachers want students who actually make an effort to learn..and those who don't, be kind of enough to keep quiet so other can learn...teachers want general educations college English classes not to exceed 451 students per one NEST..Teachers want a learning solutions..

[473geo]

Don't appear to be unreasonable requests from the children.......

As far as your questions Scott.....can you not recall from which teachers you learnt well?......I certainly can, and recall certain students marks taking a complete dive where a teacher took a less than respectful attitude towards their efforts.....following being taught by an encouraging and supportive teacher

[thunder30101]

I gave everyone an A last semester how much friendlier can I be ?

[Scott]

Yes, I remember well the teachers that I learned the most from, but such anecdotal information doesn't really address the core problems of the educational system in Thailand.

The difficulty in assessing the personality traits of teachers is that there are too many variables. Young learners and early Prathom students can be easily traumatized by a nasty teacher. Older students can usually compartmentalize their experiences and dislikes to groups such as race, gender etc.. This isn't better, but the entire process of education isn't tainted for them.

Education very much requires the human touch. Identifying with, looking up to and admiring are great motivators.

My own experience was that by secondary school, I learned the most from teachers who were strict and rather tough. They were fair, and probably nice, but their expectations were high.

[473geo]

Sure there are many variables. In my experience there are teachers who use strict control to try and command respect, then there are teachers who earn respect because of the learning techniques they employ, which also encourage the students to be successful. The two are a long way apart, to me, perhaps that is the message the children are trying to get across.

I guess there will always be more visible and actual support for a teacher whose methods achieve the goals of the student. Teachers who fail to hold the attention and respect of the students, and perhaps therefore do not achieve good results, invariably look around and blame the 'system' or the students, or class size etc.....always disappointing because although these can be factors perhaps they are not the root cause.

I have seen similar scenarios in the business world, concerning the staff training and advancement techniques of managers. In my experience many people wish to be successsful in their chosen profession, and will work harder for a manager they feel can deliver that success. The difference is, in business there are options to address the requirement for change,........students may well be offered potential avenues for change........but ....well.....just look at the indifferent responses to this thread when their opinions are aired. Respect works both ways.

[Kilgore Trout]

Math is easy to copy, Thai language comes somewhat natural as it is their language. Most of these teachers would be Thai as well I imagine.

In my opinion they don't like English teachers because the students are actually made to work and cheating is frowned upon.

On the flipside; how many teachers in these schools are qualified and trained in their home country? Probably not that many.

There needs to be a good mix of properly trained teachers, administration that backs teachers and are really concerned about learning, and supportive parents.

Apart from (some) international schools I think this combination is somewhat rare.

[junkofdavid2]

Excellent finding by ABAC Poll.

Wait... did they need a poll to find that out?

.

Edited May 4, 2011 by junkofdavid2

[Ijustwannateach]

On the flipside; how many teachers in these schools are qualified and trained in their home country? Probably not that many.

There needs to be a good mix of properly trained teachers, administration that backs teachers and are really concerned about learning, and supportive parents.

Apart from (some) international schools I think this combination is somewhat rare.

The survey was not about EP programs or international schools; it was apparently about Thai students (in general) and their attitudes towards teachers in general- presumably mostly Thai teachers- who are definitely qualified and trained in their home countries. Let's not get this thread off-track.

[Kilgore Trout]

On the flipside; how many teachers in these schools are qualified and trained in their home country? Probably not that many.

There needs to be a good mix of properly trained teachers, administration that backs teachers and are really concerned about learning, and supportive parents.

Apart from (some) international schools I think this combination is somewhat rare.

The survey was not about EP programs or international schools; it was apparently about Thai students (in general) and their attitudes towards teachers in general- presumably mostly Thai teachers- who are definitely qualified and trained in their home countries. Let's not get this thread off-track.

Where does it say they are referring specifically to Thai teachers of English? If that is the case so be it but my reading of the article seemed to convey that it was referring to English teachers (there are both Thai and foreign in non-EP Thai schools).

[Ijustwannateach]

The article seems to be about 'teachers in Thailand in general.' I suggest you re-read it. They interviewed various students from all over Thailand. Typically, that does not mean they targetted the students of EP programs (i.e., programs with non-Thai nationals teaching in the English language). No doubt there are some foreign teachers in some of these students' minds, but they are not the main topic of the poll (nor are English language teachers either, most of whom are also Thai, by the way).

I've edited your message to conform to forum rules. Please try to stick to the topic.