Civics and Values Education in Thailand: Documentary Analysis

The era of globalization has vast implications for Thai society: the effects of globalization upon its national civilization are beyond imagination. The key factor to enable the society to develop in the right direction is the quality of the Thai people. For this reason, civics and values education are recognized as the principal target of educational management. In Thailand, civics and values education are based on religion, especially Buddhism; Thai culture and family life; the institution of monarchy; and social and economic conditions. It is currently realized that economic development without human development leads to disaster in terms of natural resources, the environment, communities, as well as the individual's quality of life. Civics and values education are being revived again to save the country from the risk of this damage, and in order to seek a new balance between “global” and local” values.     

The Buddhist approach to education: an alternative approach for sustainable education

This article is based on research undertaken as part of a study of sustainable school design in Thailand. Since school design solutions are inevitably affected by educational theory and practice, in the search for appropriate building solutions, it has been necessary to review Thai educational theories and practices that relate to the sustainability approach. Recently, there have been several attempts at the international level to respond to sustainability concepts and practices in both educational and architectural fields. These have included changes to the physical building through the introduction of techniques like passive solar cooling, and curriculum changes such as the use of native plants in the school grounds for science teaching. In Thailand, sustainable practices in both fields appear to be in their infancy. This article aims to explore one current Thai educational practice that presents the possibility of responding to sustainability concepts via culturally sensitive education. The practice is based on the three Buddhist principles of learning: sila sikkha (moral conduct); samadhi sikka (mind training); and panna sikkha (wisdom development). In this holistic approach, the principles are practised simultaneously and can be applied to many dimensions, including personal, family, school and communal levels, to cultivate responsive sustainable living practices for the learners. Because the majority of Thai people are Buddhists, this approach may be an alternative way of developing sustainable education in Thailand. It also presents a way to apply local knowledge to promote sustainable ways of living in particular contexts. This may be the first step in the development of sustainable school design in Thailand and could become an integrated part of the country's sustainable systems.     

Strategies for developing a sustainable learning society: An analysis of lifelong learning in Thailand

Today’s world may be characterised as the dawn of the new millennium of the learning society, where knowledge is considered as a country’s most valued asset and primary source of power. In the increasingly intense competition among international communities, Thailand has been respected for advancing the concept of transforming communities, cities and regions into learning societies engaged in a sustainable development strategy which promotes the continual learning of individuals – the smallest unit of society. The learning society approach aims to balance economic, social, natural and environmental aspects and resources of society; and is transforming the Thai people into knowledge citizens and knowledge workers. The underlying legislation carries stipulations concerning lifelong learning, educational enhancement and global competitiveness aimed towards developing appropriate manpower to move the society towards sustainable happiness as compared and contrasted with maintaining the “status quo”. This article portrays the current situation of lifelong learning and education in Thailand; analyses and synthesises five best-practice learning society case studies and proposes guidelines for developing a sustainable learning society.     

The World Bank,support for universities,and asymmetrical power relations in international development

This article examines the role of the World Bank in advancing higher education sectors in the developing world, considering in particular the increasing power and strength of a global knowledge-based economy. Given the powerful role that intergovernmental organizations such as the World Bank play in shaping global economic policies, the authors are concerned about how the Bank’s policies and actions may limit knowledge generation and capacity building of universities in the developing world. Relatedly, the authors use case studies of the Bank’s involvement in Thailand and Uganda to better understand the role it plays in producing and reproducing forms of global hegemony. The authors discuss hegemony in terms of neocolonialism and neoliberalism. Neocolonialism is described as forms of domination advanced by powerful nations and their institutions, while neoliberalism is understood as an economic ideology by which weaker nations may be brought into greater alignment with global trade initiatives.     

Gift,commodity and mutual benefit: analysing the transfer of university knowledge between Thailand and Australia

For the last 50 years, Australia has been assisting Thailand with the development of its universities. This has involved the transfer of Australian university knowledge to Thailand and the reproduction of that knowledge in the Thai university system. Initially, this knowledge was transferred in gift-style transactions. In the last decade, both countries have been influenced by the impact of globalization and this influence has provided the impetus for change in the processes of knowledge transfer. University knowledge is now viewed increasingly as a commodity in Australia. Thailand is experiencing a period of economic growth and its needs have also changed. There is evidence that the commodification of university knowledge is not as lucrative as was first envisaged and now there are attempts by both Thai and Australian policy makers to find a framework for the transfer of university knowledge that is of mutual benefit to both.     

Analysing the national and institutional policy landscape for foreign academics in Thailand: opportunity,ambivalence and threat

While academic expatriation is a longstanding global phenomenon, Thailand has emerged in recent years as an increasingly popular destination for internationally mobile academics. The objective of this article is to identify current policy dispositions towards foreign academics at the national and institutional levels in Thailand. The article finds that within Thai higher education policy discourse, foreign academics are framed in three primary ways: as opportunities, as absent or unimportant, and as threats to Thailand. While foreign academics are often cast as experts who might accelerate the economic development of the nation and enhance the competitiveness of the Thai higher education sector, they may also be presented as threats to Thai culture, values and security. However, the most prevalent disposition found in this study was one of absence and marginality, suggesting a high degree of ambivalence toward foreign academics. The article concludes with implications for future researchers and policymakers to consider.     

The roots of Paulo Freire’s Praxis

This paper examines how local knowledge is employed in environmental adult education in a community‐based ecotourism project in an island community in southern Thailand. The study is based on field research and analysis of project websites, media reports and documents. Situated at the intersection of global tourism and a local Thai–Malay Muslim fishing community, the ecotourism project functions as an alternative tourism development model challenging dominant practices of mass tourism. In the project, tourists stay as guests in local homes, and learn firsthand from family and community ecotourism guides. The informal ecotourism ‘curriculum’ for tourists centres on local knowledge of tidal and marine ecosystems, environmental conservation efforts, local culture, and traditional livelihood activities. Tourists learn experientially to understand and appreciate this local knowledge, and in the process, contribute to the sustenance of the community, to the preservation of culture, and to the conservation of the marine resources upon which the community depends. Members of the ecotourism project, for their part, have engaged in a wide range of adult learning over the project’s lifespan. This learning includes skills and knowledge in ecotourism management, environmental conservation, cross‐cultural exchange and political activism. Although the advent of mass tourism on the island now threatens to overwhelm the local community, the capacity for environmental adult education, adult learning and political activism built up over many years by members of the ecotourism project will likely help to moderate, if not control, the deleterious effects of future commercial development.     

财神就是瘟神:当代泰国性旅游业的发展与艾滋病的蔓延

在当代泰国,旅游业逐渐成为经济发展的重要支柱。为了吸引游客刺激经济的发展,公开的或隐蔽的性交易迅速泛滥开来,卖淫被看作是一种可接受的职业。泰国的性旅游业多年来持续不衰,从而为泰国带来了巨大的经济效益,创造了大量的外汇收入,但很多外国游客到泰国是为了寻花问柳,随之带来了致命的艾滋病。艾滋病的蔓延给泰国的社会环境造成了不同程度的污染,对经济发展与社会繁荣构成了严重威胁。     

泰国汉语教师志愿者教学适应能力探析

“汉语教师志愿者”项目实施以来对泰国的汉语教学做出了重要贡献,然而一些志愿者在初到泰国时会产生教学不适应现象。本文对203位在泰国任教的志愿者和202位泰国中学生进行了调查,分析造成这种不适应现象的原因,并对志愿者培训工作提出几点建议。     

The value of learning English in Thailand and its impact on Thai: perspectives from university students

English is widely regarded as an essential skill for the globalized economy by governments around the world which devote considerable resources to its teaching in formal education, though often with limited success in terms of achievement levels. Thailand is a case in point. Set against the putative benefits of acquiring proficiency in English, concerns have been raised that the spread of English has a negative impact, threatening the vitality of the first languages and cultures of its learners. Examining whether these concerns are valid in Thailand, this article reports on a study amongst Thai university students which investigated their perceptions of English alongside their first language, Thai. Results indicate that these Thai students subscribe to the notion of English as a tool for personal economic advancement but that the position of Thai as the language of national identity remains unchallenged.     

A family affair: The effect of family on Thai students’ choices of international education

This study examines the influence of family on Thai students’ choices of international education. A qualitative phase indicated that influence from family can be slotted into one of five categories: finance, information, expectation, persuasion, and competition. The choices of international education can be classified into the decision to study abroad, choice of country, city, academic program, and of university. Subsequent quantitative analysis demonstrated that students from family with direct experience of study abroad are, themselves, subject to higher family expectation to study abroad than students from family without direct experience. The impact of social competition on students is more profound for those from Bangkok, than for those from other areas in Thailand. Furthermore, Thai students from households comprising nuclear family are more highly influenced by family than individuals from extended and alternative family households. The study has implications for marketing practices in higher education institutions, in particular those which market themselves to Thailand.     

Education for development in Thailand

In the future freedom for Thailand and for other developing countries will depend more than ever on political stability and economic expansion. Both of these factors are critically tied to education. For nearly 50 years Thailand has struggled to make democracy in Southeast Asia a reality but with little success. If democracy in Thailand is to withstand the encroachment of communism from the east, the people need to be educated to assume their civic responsibilities. 80% of the 46 million Thai citizens live in rural areas, and agriculture is their primary occupation. Yet, if agricultural production is to keep pace with demand, the already fast growing agriculturally related services and industries must expand and move into the rural areas. This means that education must spread to a larger segment of the population in these areas. The emphasis on reading and writing must remain in education, but the aims toward which these skills are directed need to change to reflect the new purpose of education in Thailand, i.e., socioeconomic and political development. Education leaders in Thailand must replace the purely personal goals of traditional practices with social and national goals that promote development. Education for life--Thailand's new goal--focuses on the political and economic problems of the country by initially concentrating on basic literacy. Possibly the most underdeveloped resource in Thailand is the human resources of the rural population. The structure of Thai education must also change if the rural people are to be served. Additionally, education in Thailand must be spread over a longer time; it must become a lifelong experience.     

从泰语和中文教学看中泰两国关系之发展

中国的泰语教学和泰国的中文教学具有悠久的历史,它的兴衰和发展,实际反映了两国关系的发展史。从公元1至15世纪,两国的交往主要靠"重译",即通过第3种语言转译。直至公元1578年明朝政府在四夷馆中开设暹罗馆,中国才有了官办的泰语教学。20世纪成立的南京东方语专是近现代中国泰语教学之滥觞。泰国的中文教学始于阿瑜托耶王朝时期,二战以前泰国华校亦是照搬中国学校的办学模式。二战以后泰国政府限制中文教学,致使泰国通晓中文的人才出现断层。中泰建交后两国的政治、经济、文化交流日益发展,催生了中国的泰语教学和泰国的中文教学的迅猛发展,具体的调查数字说明中泰双语教学的蓬勃兴旺,由此反映并进一步促进两国战略合作伙伴关系的发展。     

《说文解字》形声字之“多形多声”问题分析——兼论形声字形成的层次性

许慎在《说文解字》中认为汉字中存在由一个声符和两个或两个以上的形符构成的形声字和一个或两个形符同两个声符构成的形声字,清代学者开始把它们统称为多形多声字,并有肯定派和否定派两种观点。系统分析《说文解字》中全部77个多形多声字,发现所谓"多形多声"说的提出,是许慎没有充分注意到汉字形成的层次性或者把其他结构的字当成形声字而出现的错误,是一种应当否定的理论。     

Practise What you Preach: Counsellors’ Experience of Practising Buddhist Counselling in Thailand

This qualitative study considers Thai counsellors’ experience of practising Buddhist Counselling in Thailand, exploring how Buddhist philosophy is integrated into the counsellors’ personal lives and then brought into their therapeutic practice. The study involved a focus group and in-depth, semi-structured interviews with five practising Buddhist counsellors, with their accounts being analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Findings indicated that the participants considered their personal qualities as being key in generating therapeutic effectiveness within their Buddhist Counselling, and they believed that they fostered these personal qualities by internalising Buddhist ideas into their personal lives and by observing Buddhist practices. Implications for counselling practice, training, and research are discussed.     

Universities,civil society and the global agenda of community-engaged research

This article explores a key point of tension in contemporary discussions of community-university research engagement. Two perspectives are discussed. The first suggests that changes in the nature and structure of research have helped create democratic research spaces and opportunities within the university for communities. In this emerging (global) knowledge democracy movement, community-based researchers are increasingly seeking to connect lessons learned in local settings to the global context. The second perspective situates such developments in the context of the knowledge economy of higher education and suggests that community engagement is also developing in a manner that supports the advance of knowledge capitalism. The decisive tension is that universities around the world are being encouraged by governments to assume greater responsibility for economic development and to translate knowledge into products and services for the market – whilst at the same time being tasked to work with communities in alleviating the social and economic excesses of the market.     

Creating systems for lifelong learning in asia

This paper investigates the formation and establishment of lifelong learning support systems in six Asian countries, including Korea, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong(SAR), Thailand, and the Philippines. The countries included in this research are quite diverse and unique in their basic characteristics. Despite the divergent values, systems, and social roles, since the 1990s, the basic ideas and trends have been toward a somewhat integrated model in which each component of the system was geared to function for serving the global knowledge economy. In this paper, the process of recent lifelong learning system development in the selected six Asian countries was traced in two ways: global aspects and local peculiarity. I argued in this paper that the cases in Asia mostly follows the ‘global trends’, especially with the ‘business mind’ of global capitalism. I also suggest that Asian experiences can provide several distinctive characteristics rarely observed elsewhere: new role in mitigating diploma-disease, building centralized supporting system between central and local governments, the impact of colonial legacy, unbalance between HRD and humane-orientations, and preservation of the emphasis of adult basic education.     

20世纪中叶美国对泰国的政治介入

20世纪中叶,出于冷战格局的需要以及对泰国军人独裁统治的不安,美国积极介入泰国政治生活,极力帮助泰国军人集团组建政党筹备大选,对其进行军事保护和经济援助.与此同时,泰国奉行一边倒的亲美政策,成为美国在东南亚地区的桥头堡和马前卒.至此,泰国军人集团的执政地位得以合法化,美国在该地区的影响力进一步扩大,亚洲紧张局势持续升级.     

Education in Thailand after the crisis: a balancing act between globalization and national self-contemplation

Preparing a country for economic competitiveness and contributing to the preservation of the national cultural heritage are two demands that fall on education systems across the globe today. This paper relates the recent academic debate on the effects of globalization on education systems to current developments in Thailand, as reflected in recent Thai education policy documents. The 1997 financial and economic crisis has intensified thinking among Thai policy makers about a new balance of autonomy and dependency, of inward and outward orientation, of economic competitiveness and cultural self-reliance. Among others, life-long learning and educational decentralization are considered as instruments to balance the conflicting demands on the education system.