Thai chalk talk: Training teachers well - a vital aspect of quality education

[webfact]

CHALK TALK
Training teachers well: a vital aspect of quality education
Chularat Saengpassa

BANGKOK: -- IF THAILAND has problems over the quality of education, what are the root causes? And who should be held responsible - teachers, policy-makers or simply teacher-training colleges? No matter which way you look at it, all the aforementioned parties should play a role in finding solutions.

But there is hope on the horizon. Dr Jutarat Vibulphol, deputy dean of Chulalongkorn University's Education Faculty has helped to identify areas that teacher-training colleges should tackle in order to deliver a better education to Thai children.

Firstly, have the teacher-training colleges ever asked schools and communities what kind of teachers they want? Should the top-down approach be phased out so colleges that train teachers spend more time thinking about the existing needs of schools and the communities in which they are located? Are the teacher-training colleges confident their students can meet the standards needed for teachers within the profession?

Teachers, according to much research, have had a huge influence on their students and their development. So, don't forget that the performance of teacher-training colleges will greatly affect Thai children and Thailand's future too.

Speaking at a forum held by PICO last Thursday, Jutarat raised all the above questions. Answers will definitely provide us with clues as to how to improve the teacher-education programme.

In trying to bring attention to the needs of better teacher-education programmes, Jutarat said Thailand had previously focused on producing large numbers of teachers, rather than quality teachers. She said she often wondered how some universities could manage as many as 5,000 to 6,000 students each year. At her faculty, there were 100 teaching staff for 1,500 students.

The five-year teacher education programme has been in effect in Thailand since 2004 and relevant authorities hope it will elevate the teaching profession to higher standards.

Under the programme, Jutarat explained that lecturers at teacher-training colleges have to visit the schools where their fifth-year students were interns, twice a month. "Even with a ratio of one lecturer to five students, there is still so little time for lecturers to give advice to their students," she noted.

She also highlighted that many lecturers at teacher-training colleges have never worked as teachers before, so it could be hard for them to coach their students. An educational degree and academic knowledge does not always guarantee that a particular person will work well as a teacher for the teachers-to-be, she said.

Jutarat said she was aware that her faculty - like other teacher-training colleges - would need to assess its performance and practices so it can improve its future teaching potential.

While Thailand has had a number of researchers who have studied the teaching profession, she said very few assessed teacher-education programmes.

In order to create a better future for Thailand's education, Jutarat said she believed the "teachers' spirit" must be instilled in students during teacher-education programmes.

She also encouraged the idea of equipping students in teacher-education with skills to develop themselves further as teachers. In Finland, where the quality of education is high, and where the teaching profession is as much respected as the medical profession, teachers have much autonomy to improve their own skills and shape efficient teaching methods.

Thai regulations, on the other hand, require teaching assistants to develop and demonstrate two years of good teaching skills and pass evaluations every six months. This sounds like an effective approach, but it has not really encouraged newcomers to create new and more efficient teaching techniques. "In Thailand, teaching assistants are prone to avoid thinking or stepping outside the box, because they are concerned that breaking the norm may hurt their chances of passing the performance assessments," Jutarat explained.

Jutarat, who is deputy dean at one of Thailand's most prestigious teacher-training colleges, shared her views at a forum entitled "The Way Forward". If her voice successfully nudges teacher-producing institutes into making improvements, there is hope that the Thai education system will move forward.

And with improvement to the teacher-education programme, its graduates, who will teach Thai children across the country, should have a better set of skills to conduct classes and serve as role models for younger generations.

Chularat Saengpassa

-- The Nation 2013-08-05

[Somtamnication]

The problem with trainee teachers, at least at my school, is that they arrive with a bamboo stick under their arms, ready to learn how to teach!!!

[MaxLee]

The problem with trainee teachers, at least at my school, is that they arrive with a bamboo stick under their arms, ready to learn how to teach!!!

And you wonder why a lot of these kids turn violent??? Blame the games or TV shows???? Take a look at the class rooms instead, and LOOK at the teachers actions...

[culicine]

Why are lecturers, with no real world practical teaching experience coaching students in school settings? I would have thought that senior teachers would be better placed to do that. Or perhaps university staff don't want trainee teachers too many bad habits picked up at the start:) I well know that teacher training here will teach all of the theory that is needed to set them on the right path, but in schools most of this seems to be checked out the window. I've seen too much 'sit down, be quite, and copy this in your books' style of teaching here. Not sure kids learn much from that kind of teaching.

[CIHUAHUA]

"Thai regulations, on the other hand, require teaching assistants to develop and demonstrate two years of good teaching skills and pass evaluations every six months. This sounds like an effective approach, but it has not really encouraged newcomers to create new and more efficient teaching techniques. "In Thailand, teaching assistants are prone to avoid thinking or stepping outside the box, because they are concerned that breaking the norm may hurt their chances of passing the performance assessments," Jutarat explained."

Learning is achieved by repeated experience. If a person is always worried about “saving-face” in themselves and others a true repeated experience will not happen. In many countries evaluations for teachers, it seems, is more of a popularity contest. Other older teachers are threatened by new ideas and the children complain when the work is too hard for them. The parents don't save face when they are told their child is sub-par. Hmm - It is going to take a cultural revolution to make these changes.

[Colabamumbai]

I could say a lot after teaching nearly 4 years here now. I teach primary and secondary, I have taught at a variety of schools from 36 to 5,000 students. I teach the "Welfare Office Employees" by contract when necessary and I have taught Thai Teachers, holding workshops, to further their English and to give them new ideas for teaching methods.

There is a lot wrong in Thailands educational system and very little if any accountability.

When directors of large schools cannot speak English themselves, are their teachers going to and are the students going to speak English.

With ASEAN there has been a big push and funds available to hire more foreign teachers. What will happen in 2 years, will our jobs become redundant?

Generally speaking we are treated like shit, needed but not wanted.

I have warned school directors that calling me outside of school hours is not allowed or I will leave. So they text me instead? A school director is not calling their Thai teachers at 8p.m. why should they be calling me?

Teaching Thai teachers: I always ask myself do they really want to be here? Would I want to be in some auditorium or large room learning English with 40 other teachers from a variety of schools? No I would slack off. I try to make it something they will never forget, some amazing magic or Why can" Thais build a car for $2,000.00? Tata Motors India can.

I always offer free lesson plans and worksheets in English for any level, just email me.

I offer to exchange emails with any teachers wishing to expand their reading and writing skills.

I always offer my email address and cell number.

I always offer to come into their school for an hour or two and teach free.

There are a few more I always but the bottom line is: No Thai teacher has ever called me or emailed me for any help whatsoever.

Maybe I am lucky about that....I just get directors who cannot speak sufficient English wanting to call me.

Edited August 5, 2013 by Colabamumbai

[zoroastra999]

You would think from this that Thai schools had a monopoly on problems. This is nonsense. UK schools, colleges and universities are riddled with problems. It’s the same everywhere (except Finland – apparently!)

All of these problems arise because we overlook two simple axioms:

1) It is not just difficult, it is impossible to teach anybody anything they don’t want to learn.

2) If somebody really, really wants to learn something they will learn it – regardless of how bad their school is.

In other words, motivation is everything (note: unmotivated kids are labeled as ‘stupid’ or ‘bad’). Motivation comes when you realize that learning something is beneficial in your life (‘life’ here meaning: ‘that which happens when you’re not at school’)

The trouble is ‘life’ barely exists in any form our ancestors would recognize. Once children were involved with community activities 24/7: cooking; growing; caring; bartering; fixing; embellishing etc. Now they’ve got school; homework; TV; Facebook and that’s about it!

Virtually everything they learn (sorry, everything they are taught) is completely irrelevant to them and to their communities. No wonder the world is full of compliant morons.

Compare final year English majors with Pattaya hookers. In the communication stakes the hookers win hands down. Why? English puts the bread on their family’s table. The ‘students’ are merely pursuing meaningless grades.

Beach Road is probably the best language school in Thailand. You’ve got flexible study time; no curriculum; no teachers; an excellent proven track record; and you get paid to learn! Those who graduate with Honors get a free house; a free car; free international travel; generous clothing allowance and a big fat wodge of dollars every month simply for sitting on their butt.

Seems to me that trainee teachers should look at what works and what doesn’t work – then leave Dr Jutarat and her twaddle for the profoundly brain-dead.

[timber]

zoroastra999 Mentioned some fundamental things in learning. Getting attention of the students and creating a desire to learn. Repetition and followup in the younger students.

In our area students lose a month of schooling with teachers going to courses on being better teachers and seminars.

[tonychich]

Superb David Sir, well said.