Obec Backs Proposal At National Conference To Adjust Teaching, Tests: Thailand

[webfact]

POOR EDUCATION RESULTS

Call for overhaul of science, maths

Wannapa Khaopa

The Nation

Obec backs proposal at national conference to adjust teaching, tests

BANGKOK: -- Thailand has suffered a decline in academic results locally and internationally for many years because of uneven science and maths education provided to students over decades. It is time to start an overhaul to lift the quality of Thai science and maths education, a national conference was told yesterday.

"We will have to seriously adjust teachers' teaching, national tests, student assessments and teachers' promotions," the Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec) deputy secretary-general Benjalug Namfa told a press conference yesterday.

"All these changes will come after scientific process, standards and indicators of science and maths are improved to be clearer and correlating to students' learning performance," she said.

She spoke at a conference under the theme "Upgrading the Quality of Science Education: Basic Education 2012 in Bangkok".

The two day symposium was attended by educational specialists from Obec, the Kenan Institute Asia, MSD INSTEP (Inquiry based Science and Technology Education Programme), the Science Institute and representatives from teacher groups nationwide.

Education experts from agencies in the US and South Korea also gave recommendations to try to help Thailand lift its education quality.

"Our old style of teaching, which limits students' learning mostly to classrooms, will have to be changed immediately," Professor Emeritus Dr Montri Chulavatnatol, chairman of the board of the Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology (IPST), said.

"Updated knowledge and skills are outside the classrooms, such as in industries and open sources on the Internet. Having our students learn mainly in classes where educational resources are inadequate, we won't be able to succeed or go further. We must have them learn beyond classrooms."

Benjalug said Obec was helping teachers identify which outside classroom activities are best for lifting learning standards.

They were preparing to launch a national campaign that would motivate teachers to have pupils learn from practical activities rather than memorising content.

"Singapore has a 'teach less, learn more' campaign," she noted.

Montri said it was not just the style of teaching that needed to be changed. The current student assessments were based on knowledge or content, which was not enough to prepare students for the real world. Experts urged them to change the assessments, so they assess not only students' knowledge but also their thinking ability and problem solving.

Benjalug said national tests like the Ordinary National Educational Test (ONet) would be adjusted from their content basis. They would have to really reflect students' learning in the process of scientific thinking.

"We will start with adjusting the standards and indicators according to the learning goals. So, they will clearly state what students need to learn and what skills they need to have. The knowledge and skills they acquire should be useful for them in real life," she said. "Students' performance will be counted as part of consideration of teachers' promotions."

Recommendations would be put to the Education Ministry to drive the changes, she said.

In 2011, Thailand ranked 51st out of 57 countries worldwide in a competitive education proficiency assessment by the International Institute for Management Development, compared to 46th place in the 2007 rating.

The Programme for International Student Assessment has pointed out the deficiency in analysis and learning development of Thailand, where the average grade in 2009 stood at 49th among 65 countries.

-- The Nation 2012-08-28

[CosmicSurfer]

Duhhhhh...... You Think?????

Sum-num-na

CS

[vijer]

Christ there is so much to comment on.

"All these changes will come after scientific process, standards and indicators of science and maths are improved to be clearer and correlating to students' learning performance," she said.

... and correlating to students 'learning performance' ... sounds like they will make the assessments easier to correlate lower, after all we wouldn't want to fail any student, we only want to fail to give them an education.

Experts urged them to change the assessments, so they assess not only students' knowledge but also their thinking ability and problem solving.

Yes by all means teach them to problem solve. Never going to happen when you can't fail a student. "Student even if you don't show up to class you will not fail this class. Student do you want to learn to think? Teacher can I go to the toilet for 50 minutes? Student what about problem solving? Teacher I think I solved the problem of thinking by going to the toilet for 50 minutes. Teacher you are dumb.

The knowledge and skills they acquire should be useful for them in real life,

Tongporn if you add a little MSG when preparing the chicken it will taste better. Oh teacher I never thought of that. Porntip if you dress smartly and learn to say hello in English the customers in your taxi will be happy. Wow teacher that is useful. Sintap if you learn to put your makeup on you will find a good husband. Oh teacher you have taught me so much.

Education experts from agencies in the US and South Korea also gave recommendations to try to help Thailand lift its education quality.

Oh please, my country, the USA, should hardly be considered an expert on education. Unless you are rich, you will only get an average education in America. On the other hand it is superior compared to Thailand.

First step, eliminate the 40 minutes of indoctrination the students have to sit through every school day. Forty minutes wasted so some bureaucrat can feel important and use the microphone. Second step, other than math and Thai, all classes should be elective so that the students attending the class are actually interested in the class. Third step, allow students to fail, Fourth step, allow students to be punished for arriving to class late. Fifth step, allow students to be punished for disrupting class. Sixth step, have fewer classes in one day, most Thai students take 6-8 classes a day. Seventh step, have full one hour classes with 5 minutes between classes so students have time to get to class.

[sirchai]

"We will have to seriously adjust teachers' teaching, national tests, student assessments and teachers' promotions," the Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec) deputy secretary-general Benjalug Namfa told a press conference yesterday.."

Doesn't that mean that they'll have to adjust all, everything and everybody, roughly said......

[kagan]

Education won't change, be happy with what u got. Teach yourself if u have to. No government wants an educated society, if the society was educated then there would be no need for big government

[SNGLIFE]

I homeschooled my daughter until 7 y.o. She took the placement test and scored at the P4 level. We put her in P2 so she would be around kids her own age. After 3 years in both the private and (now) public school system, she can do less than she could 3 years ago. Sure, we interviewed 7-8 professional teachers to tutor her and I required to see their own transcripts. Not one passed math - not even those who were teaching math daily. Not one could solve ANY of the following 3 problems correctly:

5 2/4 divided by 1 1/3

4 + 2 x 6

What is the square root of 49?

(written mathematically, but I do not know where those keys are on my keyboard at the moment)

Substandard teachers trying to improve substandard students "ain't gonna werk"! They need much higher standards and much higher pay to attract the brightest to the profession. Still, the problem is institutionalized - another barrier to change. Entrenched administrators and academics at all levels - especially in grammar schools - are not tolerant of upstarts who know more or who perform better.

Can't overhaul a car using the same busted engine and expect to win the race. They're just painting over it until the next time.

[sprq]

I homeschooled my daughter until 7 y.o. She took the placement test and scored at the P4 level. We put her in P2 so she would be around kids her own age. After 3 years in both the private and (now) public school system, she can do less than she could 3 years ago. Sure, we interviewed 7-8 professional teachers to tutor her and I required to see their own transcripts. Not one passed math - not even those who were teaching math daily. Not one could solve ANY of the following 3 problems correctly:

5 2/4 divided by 1 1/3

4 + 2 x 6

What is the square root of 49?

(written mathematically, but I do not know where those keys are on my keyboard at the moment)

Substandard teachers trying to improve substandard students "ain't gonna werk"! They need much higher standards and much higher pay to attract the brightest to the profession. Still, the problem is institutionalized - another barrier to change. Entrenched administrators and academics at all levels - especially in grammar schools - are not tolerant of upstarts who know more or who perform better.

Can't overhaul a car using the same busted engine and expect to win the race. They're just painting over it until the next time.

Two of your questions don't make sense:

5 2/4 divided by 1 1/3 Is that supposed to be 5 and two fourths (!?!) by 1 and one third? If so, why two fourths? Why not 1/2?

4 + 2 x 6 Is that supposed to be (4 + 2) x 6 or 4 + (2 x 6)? You have to indicate it.

[Thaddeus]

I homeschooled my daughter until 7 y.o. She took the placement test and scored at the P4 level. We put her in P2 so she would be around kids her own age. After 3 years in both the private and (now) public school system, she can do less than she could 3 years ago. Sure, we interviewed 7-8 professional teachers to tutor her and I required to see their own transcripts. Not one passed math - not even those who were teaching math daily. Not one could solve ANY of the following 3 problems correctly:

5 2/4 divided by 1 1/3

4 + 2 x 6

What is the square root of 49?

(written mathematically, but I do not know where those keys are on my keyboard at the moment)

Substandard teachers trying to improve substandard students "ain't gonna werk"! They need much higher standards and much higher pay to attract the brightest to the profession. Still, the problem is institutionalized - another barrier to change. Entrenched administrators and academics at all levels - especially in grammar schools - are not tolerant of upstarts who know more or who perform better.

Can't overhaul a car using the same busted engine and expect to win the race. They're just painting over it until the next time.

Two of your questions don't make sense:

5 2/4 divided by 1 1/3 Is that supposed to be 5 and two fourths (!?!) by 1 and one third? If so, why two fourths? Why not 1/2?

4 + 2 x 6 Is that supposed to be (4 + 2) x 6 or 4 + (2 x 6)? You have to indicate it.

To be fair, he could have just copied those questions from an OBEC test paper.

[thaicbr]

I homeschooled my daughter until 7 y.o. She took the placement test and scored at the P4 level. We put her in P2 so she would be around kids her own age. After 3 years in both the private and (now) public school system, she can do less than she could 3 years ago. Sure, we interviewed 7-8 professional teachers to tutor her and I required to see their own transcripts. Not one passed math - not even those who were teaching math daily. Not one could solve ANY of the following 3 problems correctly:

5 2/4 divided by 1 1/3

4 + 2 x 6

What is the square root of 49?

(written mathematically, but I do not know where those keys are on my keyboard at the moment)

Substandard teachers trying to improve substandard students "ain't gonna werk"! They need much higher standards and much higher pay to attract the brightest to the profession. Still, the problem is institutionalized - another barrier to change. Entrenched administrators and academics at all levels - especially in grammar schools - are not tolerant of upstarts who know more or who perform better.

Can't overhaul a car using the same busted engine and expect to win the race. They're just painting over it until the next time.

Two of your questions don't make sense:

5 2/4 divided by 1 1/3 Is that supposed to be 5 and two fourths (!?!) by 1 and one third? If so, why two fourths? Why not 1/2?

4 + 2 x 6 Is that supposed to be (4 + 2) x 6 or 4 + (2 x 6)? You have to indicate it.

that's the point they didn't understand the questions or have the nonce to ask what he meant.

[puchooay]

I homeschooled my daughter until 7 y.o. She took the placement test and scored at the P4 level. We put her in P2 so she would be around kids her own age. After 3 years in both the private and (now) public school system, she can do less than she could 3 years ago. Sure, we interviewed 7-8 professional teachers to tutor her and I required to see their own transcripts. Not one passed math - not even those who were teaching math daily. Not one could solve ANY of the following 3 problems correctly:

5 2/4 divided by 1 1/3

4 + 2 x 6

What is the square root of 49?

(written mathematically, but I do not know where those keys are on my keyboard at the moment)

Substandard teachers trying to improve substandard students "ain't gonna werk"! They need much higher standards and much higher pay to attract the brightest to the profession. Still, the problem is institutionalized - another barrier to change. Entrenched administrators and academics at all levels - especially in grammar schools - are not tolerant of upstarts who know more or who perform better.

Can't overhaul a car using the same busted engine and expect to win the race. They're just painting over it until the next time.

Two of your questions don't make sense:

5 2/4 divided by 1 1/3 Is that supposed to be 5 and two fourths (!?!) by 1 and one third? If so, why two fourths? Why not 1/2?

4 + 2 x 6 Is that supposed to be (4 + 2) x 6 or 4 + (2 x 6)? You have to indicate it.

Don't you mean 2 quarters?

The point to note here is, that these are the types of questions in maths text books. This then gives, supposedly, the teachers the oppotunity to teach the kids to downsize the fraction.

[aidenai]

4 + 2 x 6 Is that supposed to be (4 + 2) x 6 or 4 + (2 x 6)? You have to indicate it.

Nope. There's only one answer to 4 + 2 x 6 which is 16. Google for Order of Operations in Mathematics.

[MonkeyMagic3]

4 + 2 x 6 Is that supposed to be (4 + 2) x 6 or 4 + (2 x 6)? You have to indicate it.

Nope. There's only one answer to 4 + 2 x 6 which is 16. Google for Order of Operations in Mathematics.

Thanks, I'd forgotten most of this!

http://www.mathgoodies.com/Lessons/vol7/order_operations.html

[vijer]

4 + 2 x 6 Is that supposed to be (4 + 2) x 6 or 4 + (2 x 6)? You have to indicate it.

Nope. There's only one answer to 4 + 2 x 6 which is 16. Google for Order of Operations in Mathematics.

But the answer is 12 not 16.

[MonkeyMagic3]

4 + 2 x 6 Is that supposed to be (4 + 2) x 6 or 4 + (2 x 6)? You have to indicate it.

Nope. There's only one answer to 4 + 2 x 6 which is 16. Google for Order of Operations in Mathematics.

But the answer is 12 not 16.

Not according to the rules in the link I posted above, 4 + (2 x 6) = 16

[culicine]

4 + 2 x 6 Is that supposed to be (4 + 2) x 6 or 4 + (2 x 6)? You have to indicate it.

Nope. There's only one answer to 4 + 2 x 6 which is 16. Google for Order of Operations in Mathematics.

But the answer is 12 not 16.

Not according to the rules in the link I posted above, 4 + (2 x 6) = 16

16 is correct. maybe he thought the + is a division sign. That would give 12.