Focus On PISA Test To 'Repair National Image': Thailand

[culicine]

Most western countries have workable class sizes, and cap the number of students in each class (say, up to 25/30 students). Thailand needs to address this issue first. Having 60-70 students in a class is only conducive to seat work, copying from the board, as we often see in Thai classes. There's little scope for group work, discussions, etc. We can then focus on teacher quality and training of them. Then there are a multitude of cultural impediments - can you imagine a students pointing out an error a teacher made on the board, or even simply asking questions of the teacher or their peers.

Average class sizes in the four top East Asian nations are as follows: Shanghai 40; Korea 35; Hong Kong 36; Singapore 35.

Compare with Australia 23; US 23, UK 21; EU 21.

Average teaching loads (hrs/wk): Shanghai 10-12; Korea 15; Hong Kong 17; Singapore (no data); Australia 20; US 30; UK 19; EU 17.

As a result, teachers in Shanghai spend many non-teaching hours each week in:

– classroom observation

– team teaching

– school-based research

– giving feedback

– identifying learning needs

– modeling good practice

– active collaboration

(Report: "Catching Up", p.15)

It should be noted that the non-teaching time of Shanghai teachers is programmed and structured. Teachers are not just left to their own devices.

In the US, by contrast, teachers have on average only 12 minutes between each class. (p.15)

Thanks for that interesting information. The problem I see in Thailand is the obsession of quantity over quality. After my school, and most other Thai schools which suffered through the floods. thought like mad to make up the hours that were lost. In contrast, Harrow international school, based on their website explanations, did not do this, as their teaching is based on meeting objectives. So if the objectives can be met in a shorter time frame then this would have been adequate for the students learning.

I like to model of Shanghai, but I don't see the MoE cutting the number of teaching hours to work on other, arguable beneficial, matters that would improve the learning environment of students. Maybe one day we will make progress in that direction..let's hope so!

[peteinchina]

Tests are a good indication of the quality of teaching, NOT the quality of student.

A lot of people are missing the point. The low scores have nothing to do with the culture or the people, and everything to do with the School system of rote learning, sitting in rows and not groups, and teaching abstract materials to young learners (sums, not real and personal problems eg) (I may have missed something).

The answer has to be a change process, in any country such changes are slow, relying on the retirement of old ideas rather than change from the old teachers.

I see here a recognition of the need for change, so change is inevitable. It will not happen in our lifetimes, que sera, it will happen.

I am happy to be a part of the beginning of the change, able to make a (small) difference...

[sirchai]

"She added that questions of PISA tests may be put in students' exercise books so they can learn to analyse these questions"

What a bunch of nonsense! From:http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/PISA-scores-a-good-indicator-of-future-economic-gr-30158765.html

Teachers were the key to success. The California-based professor urged Thailand to keep an eye on teachers' teaching and help them improve their teaching to ensure students' learning.

Teachers should be measured in classrooms to see how well they do, like what they do in the US.

"We have to evaluate how well teachers do in the classroom. In the US, we've had trouble in defining teacher training in a way that ensures people are good in the classroom.

"We don't know what makes really good teachers in the classroom. So, we've had trouble with defining the training. I personally think the most important thing is evaluating how well a teacher does once he or she is in a class."

Thailand could start a teacher training institution, but it still has not figured out how to make a good teacher or how to take somebody and make them better.

"So, we should just pay attention to how well they do in the classroom, then have a system that tries to get people who are not good at it to do something else, and take people who are good at it and try to make sure they stay in the classroom."

Unbelievable..............................

[BigJohnnyBKK]

As an American, I would suggest looking elsewhere for advice on education, as their system needs almost as radical an overhaul as Thailand's. The problem there (some see it as an advantage) is that this must be done on a district-by-district basis due to the local control laws - don't get me started on the local-based funding issues.

All in-depth analyses comparing success factors point to teachers being the key. However the most successful school systems do not use a "systems-based enforcement" approach of testing and monitoring. For example Finland justs makes sure teachers have the education, pay and status of other top-tier professions in the country, on par with the country's top engineers, doctors and lawyers etc, and let them do what they see fit in each school and classroom.

Finland has *no* standardized testing with which to compare the effectiveness of its schools or individual teachers, so there is absolutely *no* possibility of "teaching to the test".

The other key factor is not allowing any schools to charge additional tuition fees, so the children of those with more wealth are part of the same educational system as everyone else.

While perhaps some American educators would like to see the US emulate such practices, it is nearly as difficult (impossible) to do so there as it would be here, and for many of the same reasons.

Edited April 18, 2012 by BigJohnnyBKK

[culicine]

For those interested, here are some examples of Finnish maths exams translated into english : http://intmath.org/i...n/other/yoteht/

The advanced exam questions look similar to what you'd see on Australian advanced maths exams, such as extension 1 maths in NSW. No multiple choice there!

Edited April 18, 2012 by culicine

[sirchai]

"Low PISA scores reflect the Thai workforce's low capability."

Enough to rethink the whole educational system again, where losing face is more important than anything else.

Let those students repeat the year who failed, why not? But also Thai English teachers should undergo English tests created by foreigners. No more cheating and other BS allowed.

Those who struggle will still have the chance to teach other subjects.

​ More teachers would be employed, kids would take learning more seriously and all involved will realize that they should have started these changes many years ago.

Edited April 18, 2012 by sirchai