Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemA study of transformational and transactional leadership among leaders at the Rajabhat University, Thailand( 2007)The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the leadership styles and organizational culture in The Rajabhat University in Thailand as viewed from the leaders' and non-leaders' perspectives. The study examined leadership behavior based on the notions of transformational and transactional leadership. A survey research methodology was used to gather data from six departments in The Rajabhat University. A total of 96 leaders and 99 non-leaders responded to the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ), and 95 leaders and 101 non-leaders responded to the Organizational Description Questionnaire (ODQ). Leaders perceived their leadership styles to be transformational. Conversely, the non-leaders perceived the leadership styles of their leaders as highly transactional. These results were confirmed by the results of the organizational culture surveys both leaders and non-leaders agreed that the organizational culture were moderately transformational and highly transactional, with non-leaders viewing organizational culture as more transactional than that viewed by the leaders. Transformational leadership culture has been associated with improved organizational outcomes These findings suggest that organizations like The Rajabhat University may need to develop a more transformational leadership culture.
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ItemLeadership and success in educational reform in Thailand( 2004)This thesis presents the results of a study to examine the relationship between leadership and success in educational reform in Rajabhat Institutes in Thailand. A strong emphasis was placed on the effects of leadership, reflecting both 'eastern' and 'western' perspectives and successful educational reform. The study employed a mixed method design in which both quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analysed to answer a research question: 'How do presidents influence the achievement of successful educational reform in Rajabhat Institutes in Thailand?' The two types of data were collected independently. Quantitative data were gathered by questionnaire administered to 492 staff (308 females; 184 males) from three Rajabhat Institutes located in Bangkok, Thailand, who were nominated for their success in educational reform. Qualitative data derived from semi-structured interviews with the three presidents and a small selection of staff who were nominated by the presidents. Observations and analysis of secondary data were also employed. Some interesting findings emerged from the quantitative data analysis. As far as direct effects are concerned, results showed that a service-oriented leadership style, reflecting a "western" perspective had a strong direct effect on educational reform in Thailand. Dhamma-oriented leadership style reflecting an "eastern" approach had a negative direct effect on educational reform. However, dhamma-oriented leadership had a positive but indirect effect mediated by servant leadership. The findings from interviews were consistent with results derived from quantitative data. The study revealed that the combination of the two leadership approaches (dhamma-oriented and servant leadership) were used by the presidents of the three Rajabhat Institutes as instruments for successful educational reform. The findings have implications for practice in making educational reform a reality in similar settings in Thailand. First, leaders should focus on ensuring meaning in the work and be responsive to the needs of subordinates. They should be visionary and serve the well-being of others through their goals and work to accomplish the agreed-upon vision. Second, productive institutions require trust so that cooperation may emerge. In the Thai context, trust has been created by the moral behaviour of leaders. This moral behaviour can add value through mutual understanding, creating a process for the achievement of educational reform in Thailand. It is concluded that both approaches to leadership were important factors in achieving success in educational reform in Thailand.
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ItemTeachers' roles : catering for the marginal child in Thailand's border schools( 2005)This thesis investigates the roles of primary school teachers who work in remote areas along the Thai-Burmese border in Ratchaburi Province, Thailand. It also develops a framework to re-conceptualize teacher education so that it will be more concerned with the needs of poor, marginal children who are linguistically and culturally diverse, and with the needs of illiterate villagers, and remote communities. A qualitative study was conducted in the three remote primary school settings with high percentages of bilingual students in the Province. The teachers, the headmasters, the school supervisors, the school board members and the provincial primary education administrator were involved in the study. Data was collected by means of personal diaries, individual interviews, focus group interviews, open-ended responses to a questionnaire, school documentation, a personal letter, and the Rajabhat Universities' teacher education curricula. Data was analyzed using the Princess Sirindhorn's Children Development Projects to indicate the current and expected roles of teachers, and then the data was triangulated and synthesized to determine the diverse roles of teachers including: providing effective education, leading students to a better life, empowering parents, developing schools, and developing communities. These diverse roles may positively affect individual, family, and community or environmental circumstances where children are "at-risk". And these can assist children to become valued citizens for their communities and country. Taking these diverse roles as a platform, diverse knowledge, skills, and values are established, and a diverse teacher education framework is identified to better prepare pre-service teachers to work successfully in the remote schools located close to the Thai-Burmese border. Moreover, certain recommendations for policies on teacher education curricula, primary education, staff development, and assessment in Thailand, for Rajabhat Universities, are proposed as well.
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ItemStrategic leadership domains for Rajabhat University autonomy( 2003)This study sought to investigate essential elements for Rajabhat Institutes' transformation to higher educational autonomy as indicated by the literature survey. The first set of elements is the different areas of autonomy that Rajabhat Institutes should work toward, and the second is the strategic leadership domains that will facilitate the transformation process. Twenty respondents were formed as a subject group for the interview. The analysis was performed and the results were adapted and employed as per the content of the subsequent questionnaire. Next, the questionnaire was administered to one hundred and sixty Rajabhat personnel purposively selected from administrators and lecturers. The questionnaire using a 5- point Likert response and a ranking format determined the autonomy areas, strategic leadership domains and the level of significance of the strategic leadership domains on the autonomy areas. Statistical analysis of the questionnaire revealed that there were six autonomy areas that Rajabhats should focus their attention on for their successful transformation: academic affairs, administration and governance, personnel management, finance and budget, organisational development and quality assurance respectively. The strategic leadership domain prioritisation were proposed: vision and mission, teamwork, participation, resources, motivation, empowerment, communication and monitoring and assessment. In addition, the study also investigated the level of significance of strategic leadership domains on each autonomy area. The findings indicated that for effective transformation, different areas of autonomy might be facilitated by different strategic leadership domains. A robust model showing desirable transformation process, appropriate autonomy areas and their elements and specific strategic domain priorities has evolved from the questionnaire data. At a macro-level, the model indicates the necessary steps, the top priority autonomy areas and appropriate strategic leadership domains for certain areas. At a micro-level, the model shows the substantial elements of an autonomy area, appropriate strategic leadership domains, and the relevant internal contextual factors of Rajabhat Institutes. The results from both the interview and the questionnaire contributed significantly to the insight into what university autonomy should cover and how to effectively transform a higher education institution. As institutional transformation, either partial or institutional-wide, is considered a change process, the strategic leadership domains in this study concur with the management literature on change theories. Thus, the results from this study could be considered valid to other examples of organisational transformation.
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ItemImplementation of recommended language teaching methods in Rajabhat primary schools : Thai teachers' perceptions of the new basic curriculum( 2008)This study is concerned with primary education reform at schools attached to Rajabhat Universities. A set of twelve language teaching approaches (methods) is suggested in the Thai Teacher Handbook for Foreign Language Teachers, as part of the reform in language teaching and learning at primary level. The approaches aim to develop the ability of language use for communication. Rajabhat schools are in the ideal position for the change implementation, due to schools' location on university campuses and administrative structures under the universities. The aim of the study was to probe the teachers' understanding and practice of the new approaches. Two research questions guided the study: 1 To what degree the teachers comprehend the suggested language teaching methods? 2 What are the teachers' perceptions of how they implement the suggested language teaching methods in classrooms? A mixed research method was employed to answer these questions. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used for data collection. The two data sets are brought together by comparing and contrasting the findings, providing triangulation to enrich result interpretation. Data analysis reveals that the teachers have incorporated the suggested language teaching approaches and methods into classroom activities. They are willing to learn how the suggested approaches could be transformed into activities. However, activities students engaged in appeared to emphasize coverage of linguistic elements of target language and analysis of grammatical relationships of the elements. The emphasis on linguistics, rather than development of the ability to relate language form for functional use, derives from unclear understanding of the proposed approaches. Study findings provide evidence that knowledge and skill development for the usage of the methodological concepts of the suggested approaches could lead to the sustained change in language teaching and learning.
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ItemLeadership and successful implementation of change in Thailand( 2003)The research aimed to investigate how leaders behaved and were perceived by their staff to behave during a period of successful change. More specifically the study examined the work of leaders who acted strategically, namely, the presidents of Rajabhat Institutes in Bangkok, when a new policy, Mass Education, was introduced and successfully implemented. The methodology used for this study was the qualitative approach. The study focused on the strategic leadership of the Presidents of two Rajabhat Institutes and used a semi-structured interview method and documentary review to collect data. The participants were the Presidents of the two Rajabhat Institutes, six administrative staff and six teachers from each Institute. Five elements of strategic leadership were used as a framework for analysis. The discussion of the findings was aided by a conceptual framework of strategic leadership, educational change and Thai culture. The findings revealed that the Presidents achieved success in the implementation of change through their actions, as classified according to the five elements in a framework of strategic leadership. It is apparent that both Presidents were very much concerned about global knowledge. Their knowledge of global and local trends gained them the trust of their colleagues. During their term as Presidents, they planned for the Institutes to enter into partnerships with international universities, with the aim of benchmarking on an international scale. Their vision was reflected in changes at the Institutes. The Presidents and their leadership teams collaborated as the key agents of change. In sharing knowledge and encouraging others, both Presidents performed the role of knowledge generators, mostly through communication in both formal and informal ways, which they considered their forte. The Presidents selected ways, appropriate for their own organisations, to share knowledge. Along with knowledge and support, the Presidents supported teachers by making resources available and by providing incentives for good work. In establishing structure, setting priorities and being key sources of expertise, the Presidents achieved their vision by aligning structures with plans and the tasks to be performed. They served as good models of hard work, dependability, and forthright action. This study revealed little about the long-term plans, which were flexible due to insufficient budgets. They effectively managed the annual governmental budgets of their Institutes to provide resources to support teachers and students. In ensuring the attention of the organisation's community was focused on important change, the Presidents worked hard to support the national reform agenda and to build human resources for community development. Their ability to provide knowledge through information technology was an appropriate way to serve the country in the implementation of the Mass Education policy. Strategic intent was apparent in the framework of the plan in its attempt to achieve desired outcomes. Strategic planning in the use of information technology contributed to achieving the goal. The use of advanced technology in learning and teaching enabled the Institutes to provide a wide range of curricula for the communities they served. The strong emphasis on community development led to cooperation between Institutes and the community. In monitoring and reviewing the implementation of policy, the Presidents informally and indirectly evaluated the programs. The purpose of evaluation was to improve the learning and teaching processes. The Presidents gave rewards and incentives to the teachers for good performance. The study revealed that the successful change that resulted from their strong strategic leadership was influenced by Thai values and Buddhist culture. The study showed that the Presidents were aware of the values and the culture of the people they were working with. Self-concept and self-esteem as well as ego-self are important when considering change. Senior status and hierarchical chain of respect are also important. The values of bun-khun (pay back) and krengjai (deference) were used on many occasions to ensure cooperation. The personal preference for "true-good-friend" (Kalayanamitr) also played a major role. The Presidents' ability to encourage staff to commit to change also reflected personal preference. In regard to Buddhist culture, the study revealed that both Presidents observed four aspects of Dhamma-oriented leadership: Wisdom Power, Effort Power, Faultlessness Power and Kindliness Power. In addition, the Buddhist culture of a middle way, and a harmonious and peaceful life led to avoidance of problems or confrontation. Persuasive talk, or looking for the next person to do the task, was the choice. Recommendations are offered for improving the practice of strategic leadership and for the conduct of research in the Thai setting.
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ItemA study of the market orientation and marketing management in Rajabhat institutes in Thailand( 2005)The purpose of this study was to investigate the market orientation and marketing management of the administrators of four Rajabhat Institutes in Thailand, and also the style of leadership they employed in order to bring about effective change, arising from the establishment of a new Education Act, in their institutes. A case study method was used in order to determine how administrators of Rajabhat Institutes employ market-centred leadership to make effective change in marketing and how, in practice, administrators of Rajabhat Institutes implement their marketing concepts. A modified version of Drysdale's (2001) model of market-centred leadership was employed. This involved a consideration of two dimensions: market orientation and marketing management. The case studies revealed that, in the implementation of marketing concepts, the administrators demonstrated varying levels of responding to, and valuing, the importance of market-centred leadership which, in turn, invoked a various degrees of attitude change on the part of administrators. The extent of attitude to change on the part of institutes and administrators within each institute was graded as either high, medium or low. Variation between institutions indicated one Rajabhat Institute was high, two Rajabhat Institutes were medium and one Rajabhat Institute was low. For the administrators within these institutes: all Presidents were rated high; senior administrators varied between high (one), medium (two) and low (one). This suggests that a high level of responding and valuing of market-centred leadership is required if major educational reform is to be successfully implemented.
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ItemCommunicative activities for developing English speaking proficiency in Thailand( 2005)This study investigated the effectiveness of the two communicative activities, Information-gap and Role-play, in developing students' speaking proficiency in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom. It also provides an understanding of the dynamics of the learning process in the language classroom which resulted in students' progress in speaking. The study comprises a piece of reflective practice in the teacher-researcher's own practice, drawing on an integrated set of qualitative methods to gather data from all involved. This study was conducted in a normal language classroom of thirty-eight students in Thailand, and nine participants were targetted: 3 High, 3 Medium and 3 Low, based on language proficiency levels. Three research questions guided the study: (1) Can Thai students be assisted to use communicative activities, Information-gap and Role-play so as to overcome their weaknesses in speaking English?, (2) What most assists in the creation of meaningful situations?, and (3) What assists with the breaking down of affective barriers to participating in the two communicative activities? Data were gathered from four sources: Speaking Tests as Pretest and. Posttest, student diaries, teacher's journal and ethnographic interviews. The Speaking Test . used as both Pretest and Posttest was analysed by using mean, standard deviation and t-test Dependent measures to test the difference in students' English speaking proficiency between before and after the two communicative activities program. Results of this study reveal that using the two communicative activities, as an: innovative program had a significant impact on improving EFL students' speaking proficiency. Meaningful situations were established using pairwork and group work, both important features of Communicative Language Teaching in the language classroom. This novel classroom organisation created a positive atmosphere,. reducing affective barriers to language learning. Moreover, the dynamic classroom initiated a cycle of student progress in the language learning process which formed the basis of their progress in speaking English competently. Quantitative and qualitative data mutually supported the positive conclusions of the study. Based on the findings, recommendations have been provided for teachers in arranging the EFL speaking classroom. The Information-gap and the Role-play, are highly recommended as effective methods in the improvement of students' speaking proficiency. Additionally, this study attempts to conceptually establish a hierarchy in the relationship of these two activities that will be the most effective for assisting EFL learners in Thailand, at least, to achieve proficiency in spoken English. This study also proposes key factors that teachers must take into account in their attempt to achieve the goal of successfully teaching speaking skills in large EFL classrooms. In particular, it suggests - that when teaching materials designed for the two named activities are introduced to EFL teachers at all levels of education in Thailand, they may achieve success. There is a great deal the teacher must and can do to bring about success in this field. These include designing the materials carefully and arranging the classroom in new and challenging ways, ways which are, nonetheless, compatible with the realities of modern Thailand. Most particularly the teacher must be able to support the learners in their initial endeavours, as they begin to work in very different ways to those they have been used to, within themselves about their own spoken English; in how they work with their friends and classmates; and, especially, in how they relate and work with their teacher. Encouraging them to get through the challenges this offers by taking the time to consciously reflect on what is going on, was shown to be one way this could be done successfully.
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ItemCreating useful knowledge: a case study of policy development in e-learning at Chulalongkorn University Language Institute( 2004)This study develops and analyses a process related to online policy development in E-learning at Chulalongkorn University Language Institute. The study involved three identifiable phases. Firstly, phase one involved the preparation of a synthesis paper. It was designed to develop an evidence-based policy. This paper was developed from interviews of online experts as well as from a synthesis of related literature. In addition, change strategies and English language teaching approaches were explored. From the aforementioned, a list of benchmarks of best practice was compiled. Phase two involved the development of a policy. paper. It was designed to tailor a policy to meet the needs of Chulalongkorn University Language Institute, the organization and the staff that were responsible for implementing it. The benchmark findings from phase one were used as the basis for developing guidelines for the policy paper. The policy paper was also. designed to assist in gaining the commitment of administrators towards implementing the policy. In order to gain this commitment, Chulalongkorn University Language Institute , administrators were interviewed to find how they would implement the phase one benchmarks. Phase three involved the linkage of policy and implementation. It addressed the implementation of the policy in the teaching and learning managed by Chulalongkorn University Language Institute teaching staff. Chulalongkorn University Language Institute ajarns who had been involved in developing online courses were interviewed. One experienced ajarn was selected for an in-depth interview to probe the extent to which the benchmarks had been applied in existing Chulalongkorn University Language Institute online courses. The thesis describes and analyses an-innovatory process, a way to initiate and implement � policy in an organization. This,innovatory process provides a `rational' way of initiating policy in an organization. As a means of providing advice to those interested in effective policy development, the thesis provides a critical reflection on the process.
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ItemAn investigation of language learning strategies in a Thai learning and teaching context( 2004)This study investigates the language learning strategy (LLS) use of 118 Thai student teachers as well as that of 10 teacher educators and explores the influence of various factors on the student teachers' strategy use. The Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) developed by Oxford (1990), was used to identify patterns of strategy use of student teachers and teacher educators. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted aiming at bringing out an in-depth explanation of student teachers' strategy use, and most importantly some information on their perceptions of the impact of various factors on their strategy choices. The major findings were that the reported frequency of strategy use by student teachers was moderate overall, while their teacher educators reported using strategies at a high level. However, student teachers and their teacher educators shared similar patterns in strategy use, whereby meta-cognitive, social and compensation categories appeared to be popular among both groups. It was also found that apart from English proficiency, the use of LLSs was also related closely to the learner's beliefs and motivation and a variety of important variables, such as teaching methods,. assessment systems, and curriculum materials. These findings provide evidence that Thai student teachers need to further develop language learning strategies, especially cognitive and memory strategies, to facilitate their learning. There is an urgent need for strategy training in Thai teacher education in order to encourage Thai student teachers to develop necessary learning strategies or learning tools, which are highly significant in successful language learning in this fast changing world. These student teachers are agents of change in schools. With a better knowledge of language learning strategies, these young teachers are in a position to bring about a change in English education in Thailand, and thus help the Thai government to implement its education policies more successfully.