This study identified and analyzed factors which affect the participation of rural women in nonformal education programs. These factors were linked to the national program for rural women. Document analysis and unstructured interviews of policy personnel were used to describe national policies for educational programs for women, the status of women's participation in those programs, and issues that influence women's education. Participant observation and unstructured interviews were employed to obtain data in the field study of Baan Kha Klang village. Forty-two women in the village, 21 who had participated and 21 who had not participated in nonformal education programs within the past year, were randomly selected as subjects.

The loud songs of gibbons (Hylobatidae) usually consist of a duet by the mated pair delivered each morning. These songs can transmit over a kilometre through dense forest habitat and therefore presumably play a role in long-distance communication. There is some evidence to suggest that gibbons use song in contexts other than their daily duets, such as predation, but these songs have not been well studied. Close- range communication is also relevant for gibbons, but these quieter calls have completely escaped any detailed observation. The responses of wild white-handed gibbons (Hylobates lar) to simulated visual and acoustic predators (tiger, clouded leopard, reticulated python and crested serpent eagle) were studied in Khao Yai National Park, Thailand to address the lack of empirical data about these important events. Little is known about gibbons’ anti- predatory behaviour in general, and simulated predator encounters provided an opportunity to investigate these responses as well. Results showed that gibbons used song as part of their anti-predator strategy and that subtle combinatorial changes were meaningful to conspecifics. They also showed marked behavioural changes in the short-term, and some evidence of longer-term changes as well. Quiet calls were also part of the gibbons’ response repertoire with the hoo call being particularly relevant. Hoos were used as a prelude to singing both normal duets and predator songs, but there were consistent differences between each context. Hoos were also delivered independently in a number of other contexts outside predation. When analysed, these hoos showed consistent contextual differences in a number of spectral parameters. Within the duet context, important contextual subtleties were evident also revealing a remarkable vocal plasticity. In addition, gibbons voluntarily attended to specific vocal elements of other gibbon duets, indicating that certain sequences are more pertinent than others. Results suggest both gibbon song and gibbon hoos are powerful communication tools that reliably reference external objects and events; this ability is also a critical feature of human language.

The study begins by investigating Thailand’s administration of its mineral resources and those of some other leading mineral-exporting countries for comparison. The notion of ‘resource curse’, which affects many resource-rich countries, and an analysis how Thailand fought and won the ‘curse’ is critically explored. The principle of sustainable development and its implication to Thailand are presented, together with various computed indicators of sustainable development for Thailand. The role of mineral resources and Hotelling’s model in the context of sustainable development are discussed. The essence of this study is the development of economic models to determine the optimal extraction paths of Thailand’s gypsum resources based on Hotelling's concept of maximizing Net Present Value (NPV) of benefits accrued to the country. This study finds that under all assumptions and all scenarios, at a certain point in time, Thailand should stop exporting its gypsum and devote the remainder of its gypsum resources to domestic consumption only. In addition, Thailand should push gypsum price up to a certain level. The model determining gypsum consumption in Thailand and some countries imported gypsum from Thailand, which are the basis to determine the optimal extraction paths of gypsum in Thailand, is also developed. It shows that the price of gypsum had no effect on its consumption. In other words, the demand for gypsum might be highly inelastic. Finally, the long-term policies for Thailand to manage its gypsum resource are recommended.

The sustainability of grouper culture as an alternative livelihood option for coastal fishers was investigated in the southern provinces of Thailand. A sequenced approach using qualitative and quantitative research methods was used to explore factors that could undermine the potential for grouper culture to contribute to a sustainable livelihood. A study was initially conducted in 28 villages in 6 provinces in southern Thailand to provide baseline information on grouper aquaculture and fisheries, focusing on culture practice, the actors and institutions involved in grouper culture and beneficiaries. Factors contributing to the variation in levels of uptake of grouper culture between provinces was explored. This initial overview facilitated the description of the grouper culture system in terms of its boundaries, hierarchies, interconnections and processes and the development of a framework for the assessment of the sustainability of the grouper culture system. A case study approach was used to investigate in-depth the role and sustainability of grouper culture at the community and household level. Three communities were selected for study in Trang and Satun provinces. Research was guided by the sustainability assessment framework, which comprised five components: Livelihoods, Institutions, Environment, Markets and Production Systems. Data was collected using qualitative, participatory methods and a quantitative survey. The research found that grouper culture has the potential to contribute to a sustainable livelihood for coastal fishers in southern Thailand, although problems with fish disease and mortality, fluctuations in the availability of seed fish and water quality undermine the ability of most farmers to obtain the maximum benefit from grouper culture. Non-technical factors including motivation and incentive, access to financial capital and levels of social capital were also observed to influence sustainability of grouper culture. Grouper culture was found to be an activity in which members of all wealth groups could participate with institutional support, access to credit, and access to wild sources of seed and feed. It is unlikely to provide a suitable alternative to fishing, as the two activities contribute in different ways to the livelihoods of coastal households, but may support livelihood diversification.

The purpose of this study was to investigate and analyze computer literacy and general attitudes toward computers of students at Thai public unversities. The comparative study of computer literacy levels and attitudes toward computers among Thai students with various demographic classification was performed followed by the study of relationships between the two variables among the samples. A fifty-eight-item questionnaire was adapted from the computer literacy questionnaire developed by the researchers at the Minnesota Educational Computing Consortium. The items were designed to assess knowledge and attitudes relative to computers. The questionnaire was administered to a random sample of 492 students who took at least one computer course from thirteen public universities in Thailand. Statistical tests used to analyze the data included t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and Pearson product moment correlations. Based on the research findings, the following conclusions were drawn: (1) Thai university students exhibited a moderate computer literacy level. (2) While a higher proportion of female students enrolled in computer classes, male and female students reported similar computer literacy levels. (3) Graduate students had higher computer literacy levels than did other students from different educational levels. (4) Academic majors and academic performance (GPAs) were also factors affecting computer literacy levels. Education majors displayed higher computer literacy levels than mathematics majors and science majors. (5) Students with higher GPAs had higher levels of computer literacy than the groups with lower GPAs. (6) Computer literacy was not age dependent. (7) Generally, Thai university students showed positive attitudes toward computers. (8) Males and females both showed positive attitudes toward computers. (9) Graduate students exhibited more positive attitudes toward computers than all other groups. (10) The groups of students with lower GPAs displayed lower positive attitudes toward computers. (11) There was a strong positive relationship between students' knowledge and their attitudes toward computers. It is recommended that computer education should be viewed in relation to its contribution to educational process as a whole. It should be relevant to the local environment, work, individuals and. society needs sis well as development of positive attitude toward manual skills. More research is needed in the areas of teacher education, evaluation techniques to assess students' progress in a new teaching context, and ethical values relative to computers.

An analysis of Thai government expenditures demonstrates that they expanded rapidly between 1900 and 1969, due primarily to rising prices and the extension of government functions, particularly during the post-war period. In contrast, the war effect had little influence on the growth of expenditures. During the period under study, Thai government expenditures were devoted largely to general, social, and economic services, with emphasis on transportation and communication, defense, agriculture, and education. Current expenditures (for defense, education, etc.) represented a higher percentage of total government expenditures than did capital expenditures (for public construction, social services, etc.). In general, the case of Thailand indicates that levels of government expenditure were higher in conjunction with greater emphasis on economic and social development.

No description available.

No description available.

This investigation sought to examine the congruence or the lack of congruence of educational goals in Level Four Adult-Continuing Education Programs in Bangkok, Thailand. The purposes of the study were to identify the actual and ideal goals of Level Four Adult-Continuing Education Programs and to determine whether any significant differences existed in the perceptions of educational goals of the programs among students, teachers, and administrators.

The study investigated the impact of Thai preservice middle school mathematics teachers' knowledge of subject matter and of students' conceptions of division of rational numbers with respect to their classroom practices in a teaching environment controlled by a required national curriculum. Four preservice teachers were selected with different knowledge of subject matter and of students' conceptions of division of rational numbers: high knowledge of subject matter and high knowledge of students' conceptions, high knowledge of subject matter and low knowledge of students' conceptions, low knowledge of subject matter and high knowledge of students' conceptions, and low knowledge of subject matter and low knowledge of students' conceptions. Each preservice teacher was observed three weeks, each class day during the teaching of units on division of decimals, representing fractions as decimals, and division of fractions. Formal interviews were conducted with each of the four preservice teachers prior to and after teaching each unit. Informal interviews were conducted prior to and after teaching each lesson. Materials used in the normal teaching of the class were collected. Interviews with the preservice teachers' mentors were conducted before and after each unit. The mentors were interviewed daily before or after the instruction. Interviews with supervisors were conducted each time they supervised the preservice teachers. Results showed that all preservice teachers planned and taught division of rational numbers procedurally following an algorithmically-based national curriculum. The preservice teachers with higher subject matter knowledge used multiple examples. They could make up examples when the students asked questions. In contrast, the lower subject matter knowledge preservice teachers rarely created new examples while they were teaching. The high knowledge of students' conceptions preservice teachers used their knowledge of students' conceptions throughout the lessons more often than the low knowledge of students' conceptions preservice teachers. After teaching the lessons, they all gained knowledge of subject matter and of students' conceptions of division of rational numbers. The depth of knowledge of subject matter and of students' conceptions of division of rational numbers is as essential for preservice middle school mathematics teachers' teaching in a nonvoluntary curriculum as it is in a voluntary curriculum. / Graduation date: 2003