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Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 18, Issue 2, Article 3 (Dec., 2017) |
Thailand 4.0 is an economic model based on creativity, innovation, new technology, and high-level services (Baxter, 2017). To develop a country within this global context, it must be driven by innovation and creativity, along with the skills necessary for workers within a 21st Century environment (Reeve, 2014, 2016; Trilling & Fadel, 2009). Transforming however to the challenges of the 21st century dynamics is therefore based on high quality education, which meets the goals of Thailand’s 12th National Economic and Social Development Plan (2017-2021), while focusing on the development of critical thinking skills, as well as creativity (Baxter, 2017; Office of the Prime Minister, 2016).
To meet these challenges, Thailand in 2015 enrolled 318,500 vocational education students, which was an 86,052-student increase compared to the same period in 2014 (Mala, 2015). In 2017, Thailand will graduate 400,000 bachelor’s degree students, along with 140,000 vocational education graduates, who will be entering Thailand’s workforce (Board of Investment, 2017).
In Thailand, the Office of the Vocational Education Commission (Ovec) is responsible for student vocational education policies, and the implementation of what is referred to as a ‘dual’ or ‘double-track’ system, which is a collaboration between entrepreneurs, vocational institutions, and academic schools, allowing students to graduate with both academic and vocational qualifications, which in some countries might be referred to as ‘work/study’ program. Furthermore, in the Thai vocational system, there are two main levels of certification available, which are the Vocational Certificate level and the High (Upper) Vocational Certificate level.
Having completed lower secondary education, students may choose to follow a vocational upper secondary specialization. Students take the same compulsory subjects as those in the academic stream, with specialization in one of five major fields including agriculture, home economics, business studies, arts and crafts, and engineering. The Certificate in Vocational Education (Bor Wor Saw) and the Certificate in Dual Vocational Education (DVT) both require three years of study, while the DVT program requires a significant amount of practical, on-the-job training in partnership with an industry participant (Fadul, 2011).
The importance of the vocational education system for Thailand cannot be understated as Thailand advances into the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) which Thai policy makers have labeled as Thailand 4.0 (Jones & Pimdee, 2017). In this vision for a digitally enabled, knowledge based workforce, vocational students play a key role in the success of the 10 economic sectors which have been targeted. Additionally, as can be seen from Figure 1, Science & Technology students were in the enrolled majority at the vocational education level in 2013 (lower than bachelor).
Figure 1. Thai new student discipline enrolment (2013) Source: Thailand Science Technology and Innovation Profile (2014)
In the current climate of rapid technological change, it is therefore becoming necessary for knowledge workers to acquire 21st century skills (Reeve, 2016). Recognized components of this are Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, which has become integral to TVET (technical and vocational education and training) education. In Thailand however, studies and scholars have noted that TVET has not been able to provide sufficient highly-qualified and well-trained technicians for a rapidly changing economy (UNESCO Bangkok, 2011).
This was further confirmed by Chalamwong et al. (2012) which determined that employers are still looking for semi-skilled labor, especially people equipped with technical skills, yet vocational institutions have not been very successful in producing highly-qualified graduates. And as sad as it is to report, according to a 2015 study from the Thailand Research Fund (TRF), results from logical thinking and analytical skills testing of 1,029 vocational students showed that only 2.09% passed the exam, while the average was only 36.5% (Rujivanarom, 2016).
Education in Thailand takes 20% of the budget and represents 6% of the GDP, but 80% of the education budget goes to support administrative costs (Concern over 'inefficient' education spending, 2015). Furthermore, test scores continue to decline, with PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) results of Thai students being among the lowest in the world (Sothayapetch, Lavonen, & Juuti, 2013; Yuenyong, 2013), with logical thinking and analytical skills of students tested being at abysmal lows of 2.09% passing (Rujivanarom, 2016). Given the depth and breadth of these problems, the researchers undertook a study to research the authentic and expected performance of integrated science process skills of vocational certificate students and teachers, along with a needs assessment exploration prioritized and classified by institution type.
The aim of the research was to study: (1) authentic and expected performance of integrated science process skills of vocational certificate students (2) to explore a needs assessment (3) to prioritize and (4) to compare the needs assessment of integrated science process skills (classified by types of institutions).
