“Based on the teacher competency development activities organized for teachers to manage the learning process to improve student competency, many schools have obviously made progress”
stated Dr. Jittima Juethai, manager of Teacher Development Project in Border Patrol Police schools with the goal to uplift quality of education in rural schools
Is it possible for students in remote areas to be skilled in languages up to actual communication?
“Quality of education” is one thing that every child in Border Patrol Police schools desires to be provided as a present as well as necessary appliances and toys. But the problem and limitation occurring in Border Patrol Police schools is personnel who work as teachers in the school did not graduate from the Faculty of Education and they have several missions to take responsibility for. Moreover, the students are from low-income households. It thus generates a question upon how the educational agencies will raise the quality of education of those students to be as equitable as other schools.
Create efficient learning for 50 schools in 15 remote border provinces
Dr. Udom Wongsing, director of the Teachers and Schools development office of Equitable Education Fund (EEF) said the EEF, in coordination with Border Patrol Police Headquarters and local higher education institutes which are Thaksin University, Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University, Kamphaeng Phet Rajabhat University, Udon Thani Rajabhat University, Loei Rajabhat University and Phetchaburi Rajabhat University, has organized “Teacher Development in the Border Patrol Police schools to Uplift Quality of Education of Schools in Remote Area” within the 50 leading Border Patrol Police schools in 15 provinces as follows; Ratchaburi, Kanchanaburi, Phetchaburi,Prachuap Khiri Khan, Loei, Udon Thani, Bueng Kan, Phitsanulok, Phetchabun, Uttaradit, Tak, Songkhla, Trang, Satun and Phatthalung.
“The work at the local level has concretely taken place through the cooperation of 3 sections. It has turned into another development model of schools in remote areas which are local educational institutes, coaches and border patrol police. They began by surveying the needs of schoolmasters, teachers, students, parents and the community in the leading 50 Border Patrol Police schools on which student competency they wish to develop. Afterwards, those needs of student development from all sectors led to activity design for competency development which concerns learning management of teachers of the Border Patrol Police schools. By which, the emphasis is placed on integrated learning management that covers the competency development from practical tasks with school as base.”
In the initial phase, a total of 485 teachers will be developed and 5,335 students in the 50 schools will gain the benefit. The project has been commenced in 2020 and will continuously extend to generations of students.
Understand the problems, develop by field visits
The team of teacher development in Border Patrol Police schools, on the performance toward the 50 leading schools, has organized activities for teachers of each school to develop the quality of education and observe the real learning condition of students.
Dr. Chittima Juethai, Project Manager, stated that the key concept of the process is not to move teachers out of the area because each departure often creates inconvenience for teachers which may affect students’ learning. Therefore, local teachers and coaches and border patrol police’s supervisors are the ones who sort out the teacher competency development activities in Border Patrol Police schools by themselves in order to improve the quality of education following the goal that teachers, students and the community have incorporated to reflect their needs. Apart from the advantages in terms of the competency development of the Border Patrol Police school teachers in learning management for students, the team members of the project appear to understand the context, problems, and limitations of Border Patrol Police schools, leading to cooperation in developments and aids in other dimensions that can be seen from the real condition.
“More than 60 percent of the learner development demand in the 50 leading schools relies on the need to develop Thai language and literacy skills. Since almost all of the Border Patrol Police schools are located in the border area, the students are chiefly the ethnic groups who do not use Thai language as their mother tongue, greatly causing illiteracy. Based on the teacher competency development activities organized for teachers to manage the learning process to improve student competency, many schools have obviously made progress,”
said Dr. Chittima
Solve language learning problems with literacy model
Tako Pit Thong Border Patrol Police School and Ban Tham Hin Border Patrol Police School both located in Suan Phueng district, Ratchaburi province are one of the leading schools that have demonstrated their accomplishment. Students become more literate through the Thai language development activity that can also be applied to other subjects.
Dr. Nittaya Ruangmak, Deputy Dean of Faculty of Education, Muban Chombueng Rajabhat University, said in cooperation with Phetchaburi Rajabhat University, the team of professors have explored ways to organize the activities, beginning with conversations before investigating the needs and doing Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis on both groups of schools and alumnus on which part they aspire to develop the most. The two groups have agreed to literacy development because most of the children are ethnic groups.
The professors then have collaboratively planned and designed activities to enhance the competency in learning management for literacy provided to 12 teachers of the Tako Pit Thong Border Patrol Police School and 14 teachers of Ban Tham Hin Border Patrol Police School by implementing Siwakan Pathumsut’s “literacy model”. Starting with testing students in pronunciation and dictation, the results will be designed into an appropriate teaching method on what to do and which tools should be used in each class. EEF will subsidize the necessary devices throughout the activities.
Teachers will develop teaching capabilities in all forms such as standing in front of the classroom, creating interesting teaching media, and even writing a board for students to simply follow. These examples can be applied to English subjects and science as well.
“This helps teachers a great deal as it is understandable that teachers of the Border Patrol Police schools mostly did not graduate from the Faculty of Education directly. We then intervened to assist in developing the teaching for the better and to make learning happen. Sometimes when a problem occurs, an orientation can fix it through the real situation in which, eventually, there are apparent changes that children become literate and confident in speaking despite their friends imitating. Training generates improvement. In the meantime, teachers themselves are developed,”
said Dr. Nittaya
Develop teaching methods with schools as base
Another activity that clearly illustrates success is the English language teaching development in Ban Kum Chompoo Border Patrol Police School, located in Bueng Kan province and Ban Huai Wiang Ngam Border Patrol Police School, located in Udon Thani province. The development of English language skills concentrates on a learning that is applied to Farm School or using schools as base in which there are designing a learning and teaching method in accordance with schools’ existing elements by organizing teacher development activities in different perspectives, producing teaching materials, adjusting teaching methods, planning a teaching that focuses on the use of school and community learning sources and evaluating learners.
Dr. Punnarat Pipitkul, Dean of Faculty of Education, Udon Thani Rajabhat University, informed that, as per a survey of 10 schools under her responsibility, the project has decided to arrange an activity that develops the English language learning in 2 schools whereas the other 8 schools will be embraced with the development of reading and writing skills.
Corresponding to an activity held for 3 days, beginning with teaching Phonics or pronunciation training for teachers, research shows that schools that implement this teaching method are 3 times more effective than schools that do not. Additionally, integrated English teaching with Farm School by using the surroundings as lessons and activities for students to become acquainted and confident in using English language such as describing the feelings and blindfolded fruit smell test. When students remember the vocabulary, the next level is phrases and sentences by applying to games such as creating a school map. Students can gather skills in giving directions and explaining details in English.
Building teachers’ confidence is the most crucial thing among all the processes. Teachers should not be afraid of the English language. Their confidence in teaching will reflect on students. Students will not be frightened although they cannot recall a word or correctly pronounce some of the alphabets. Rather, they are more courageous to try, play games regardless of making mistakes and combine words until they are familiar and able to use English language in a better way.
According to the exemplary teaching method of the 4 mentioned schools, it demonstrates that developing teaching skills and increasing decent procedures systematically for teachers are a vital foundation in improving Border Patrol Police schools. In spite of the fact that teachers are of different career origins, they will be oriented and confident in teaching. Every teacher will be delighted and amused with the children. More proper media can consequently be added to teach students. Certainly, EEF targets at extending the result of teacher development activities further than the 50 leading schools in order to create knowledge, enjoyment and equitable learning all over the country.
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