The Thai government has strongly advocated for the learner-centered education for the past decade. Success For Life Thailand (SFLT), a brain-research-based early childhood education program blended with the theories of the developmentally appropriate practices and child-centered philosophies, has been implemented in Thailand for over 8 years. The purposes of the present study were to: (a) describe the current statuses of the Thai early childhood educators' learner-centered beliefs and practices, (b) identify if the SFLT training workshop affects teachers' learner-centered beliefs and practices, and (c) examine if other variables, along with familiarity with the SFLT program, predict teachers' learner-centered beliefs and practices. Ninety-three preschool and kindergarten teachers participated in the study. Among them, 17 were SFLT trainees in 1999 and 2000 (i.e., the previously trained group), 43 were trained in Year 2006 (the currently trained group), and the others were comparable to the currently trained group by matching the key personal and school variables. The Teachers Beliefs and Practices Survey: 3-5 Year Olds (Burts et al., 2000) and the Learner-Centered Education: the Assessment of Learner- Centered (ALCP) for K-3 (McCombs, 2001) were used to collect data on the various domains of the learner-centered beliefs and practices. Findings reveal that: (a) Thai teachers highly endorse learner-centered beliefs, (b) Thai educators demonstrate relatively low levels of developmentally appropriate practices and high levels of developmentally inappropriate practices (DIP) in comparing with the American early childhood educators, (c) the previously trained SFLT teachers score higher on the DAP domains and lower on the DIP domains than the other two groups, and (d) familiarity with the SFLT program, along with teacher's education level, years of teaching experience, and the total number of students in the classroom do not predict variations on the different domains of the DAP and learner-centered learning questionnaires. Future studies need to use indigenous measurement instruments appropriate to Thai education to evaluate the impacts of the SLFT program on teachers' learner-centered beliefs and practices when more trainees become available, and possibly to include other teacher, student, and school variables.

The purpose of this study was to assess the perceptions of academic advising needs by faculty advisors and students at Ramkhamhaeng University, Bangkok, Thailand, using the Academic Advising Needs Questionnaire developed by Thomas H. Burke. The assessment is based on age, sex, education level, academic rank, years of advising, and number of advisees. The questionnaire consisted of 15 items, using a four-point rating scale. The population consisted of a total of 280 faculty members and 700 resident students at all seven faculties at Ramkhamhaeng University, Bangkok, Thailand. A total of 230 faculty members or 82.14 percent of the sampling and a total of 561 students or 80.14 percent of the sampling participated in this study. The t-test, Spearman s Coefficient of Rank Correlation, and Kendall's Coefficient of Concordance W were used in the follow-up assessment, with the level of significance at .05. Data were collected by means of two Academic Advising Needs Questionnaires for this study. Questionnaires were distributed to faculty advisors and students. While students revealed some degree of need in all advising areas, the five highest ranked items were: (1) serve as a student's personal reference for prospective employers and/or graduate goals, (2) assist students in obtaining part-time work experiences (paid or unpaid) which complement their career and/or educational goals, (3) assist students with career/vocational planning, (4) help students explore possible graduate/professional school study, and (5) provide students with academic advice and suggestions for scholastic improvement. Faculty responses indicated student need in all advising areas; the five highest ranked items were: (1) assist students with career/vocational planning, (2) help students explore possible graduate/professional school study, (3) assist students in selecting a major, (4) inform students of the employment opportunities in the students' intended fields of study, and (5) assist students in obtaining part-time work experiences (paid or unpaid) which complement their career and/or educational goals.

The purpose of this study was to determine and compare the academic advising needs of students as perceived by students and faculty advisors through faculty advising functions in the six teachers' colleges in Bangkok, Thailand. Fifteen faculty advising functions were included in a questionnaire validated by a panel of three judges. The questionnaires were distributed to students and faculty advisors in the six teachers' colleges by two selected research assistants. A total of 180 faculty advisors and 540 junior and senior teacher training students at the six teachers' colleges in Bangkok, Thailand, were selected using stratified random sampling. The usable and complete questionnaires received included 109 from faculty advisors (60.56 per cent) and 350 from students (64.81 per cent). The t-test, the Kendall's Coefficient of Concordance W, and the Spearman's Coefficient of Rank Correlation were employed to determine and compare the differences, the agreements, and the relationships of academic advising needs of students as perceived by students and faculty advisors, respectively. Analyses of the data revealed that students and faculty advisors in the six teachers' colleges in Bangkok, Thailand, perceived a mismatch between student advising needs now being fulfilled and student advising needs that should be fulfilled. Apparently, the academic advising programs in the teachers' colleges were not meeting the student needs. However, for student advising needs which should be fulfilled, both students and faculty advisors ranked personal, vocational and career, and academic areas very high. Overall, students and faculty seemed to agree on the advising needs which should be fulfilled.

This study investigates the reading habits of three Thai students between their early twenties to early thirties. Although the focus of interest is on their English reading, their reading habits in Thai and English, both fiction and non-fiction, are studied. None of the three subjects regularly reads fiction in Thai or English, and non-fiction books are read almost exclusively for the purpose of study. The research confirms the hypothesis that present reading habits are determined by positive or negative reading experiences in the past. Subjects who enjoyed positive experiences reading fiction or non-fiction in their early years have become regular readers of fiction or non-fiction; the subject who had negative early reading experiences is not a regular reader of any kind of books in either Thai or English. The study does suggest, however, that despite the strong effect of early reading experiences, positive reading experiences in the present can help adults become engaged readers. / English Studies / M.A. (TESOL)

Bibliography: leaves 211-227. This thesis addresses the implications of language policy for foreign language teaching practice. It specifically looks at the implementation of language policy on the practice of teaching English in Indonesian and Thai primary schools as well as on the practice of teaching Indonesian in Australian primary schools.

This study investigates the reading habits of three Thai students between their early twenties to early thirties. Although the focus of interest is on their English reading, their reading habits in Thai and English, both fiction and non-fiction, are studied. None of the three subjects regularly reads fiction in Thai or English, and non-fiction books are read almost exclusively for the purpose of study. The research confirms the hypothesis that present reading habits are determined by positive or negative reading experiences in the past. Subjects who enjoyed positive experiences reading fiction or non-fiction in their early years have become regular readers of fiction or non-fiction; the subject who had negative early reading experiences is not a regular reader of any kind of books in either Thai or English. The study does suggest, however, that despite the strong effect of early reading experiences, positive reading experiences in the present can help adults become engaged readers. / English Studies / M.A. (TESOL)