Learning Reform Situation in the Pilot Schools : Lessons and Policy Recommendations
Executive Summary
Report on Learning Reform Situation in the Pilot Schools : Lessons and Policy Recommendations
The Office of the National Education Commission (ONEC), in its capacity as the body responsible for formulating national education reform policy, has co-ordinated with the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Interior and universities in carrying out a R&D Project on Whole-School Learning Reform for Developing Quality of Learners. It is therefore gratifying that, in similar recognition of the merit of the Project, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), has provided its support through technical assistance on a grant basis.
The National Pilot Study, with funding support from the ONEC and the ADB, has thus been carried out on a voluntary basis by 253 schools selected from among 3,800 educational institutions which have expressed their needs and readiness for whole-school learning reform, based on their actual experiences. The selection of the pilot schools was supported by agencies with jurisdiction over these schools, covering all administrative authorities, provinces, sizes and locations. All the 253 pilot schools offer basic education.
Following the first phase of self-development, 3 schools in the central region under ONPEC's jurisdiction withdrew from the Study due to internal problems. The remaining 250 pilot schools, continuing to the second phase, can be divided by jurisdiction and region as follows :
| Region |
North |
North-east |
Central |
South |
Bangkok |
Total |
| ONPEC |
37 |
32 |
50 |
21 |
2 |
142 |
| DGE |
13 |
26 |
17 |
13 |
4 |
73 |
| Municipality |
2 |
6 |
3 |
2 |
- |
13 |
| BMA |
- |
- |
- |
- |
5 |
5 |
| Border Patrol Police |
- |
1 |
- |
1 |
- |
2 |
| OPEC |
2 |
2 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
14 |
| Religious Affairs Department |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
| Total |
54 |
68 |
75 |
40 |
13 |
250 |
Objectives
1. To encourage 250 pilot schools under jurisdiction of all agencies nationwide to implement whole-school learning reform, with emphasis on improving quality of the students;
2. To encourage the 250 pilot schools to take a professional approach to reforms of learning, assessment and administration to ensure whole-school internal quality assurance;
3. To encourage the 250 pilot schools to serve as reform nodes for further expansion or models for other schools, which could benefit from their experiences - both successes and failures - in whole-school learning reform; and
4. To enable the teams of academics / local researchers from teacher education institutions, supervisory units and NGOs, totalling 44 in number, to participate in the reform and learn from their collaborative efforts with the schools.
Conceptual framework and strategies
The National Pilot Study : Learning Reform Schools for Developing Quality of Learners observes the mandate of the 1999 National Education Act as well as the provisions of Chapter IV : National Education Guidelines as follows :
Conceptual framework
1. The learner-centred perspective is at the heart of education reform. All individuals are in fact capable of lifelong learning.
2. National legislation and policy on education can provide overall direction. Decision making on implementation to reach the desired goals, however, rests with the administrative authorities, and schools / educational institutions themselves. The goals may be diversified. Their commonalities, namely : the students' learning achievements and development in all aspects and at all stages of life, however, are mandatory.
3. Students must be allowed a significant role and involvement in self-development for attaining desired results. Responsibility for self-learning will enable students to be self-reliant. Through self-knowledge, they will be capable of developing themselves at their own pace and to their fullest potential and consequently enjoy learning.
4. Parents and community members near and far must be aware of the changes in the students' role in learning. They must also be ready to provide the necessary support in order to meet the latter's requirements.
5. As mentors of the students in their charge, self-development on the part of teachers is required for attaining desirable attributes as members of the society as well as professionals. Such development can be reached through a continuous acquisition of knowledge and skills so as to attune to intellectual advancement and social changes while upholding professional standards and ethics.
6. Principals, supervisers and other educational personnel play important roles in providing support for teachers. The principals, in particular, are required to provide academic leadership as well as moral support. Similar to the teachers, they are professionals who require continuous self-development.
7. Educators of teachers and other educational personnel also require further development of their quality. The reform of teacher education institutions should therefore be linked with school reform for collective learning, both from the theoretical and practical perspectives.
8. Learning reform, with an emphasis on achievements of stakeholders, should be governed by academic standards and should be subject to adjustment through participatory processes.
9. Application of research as an instrument for collective learning will lead to adjustment of standards and regulations, based on academic rationale. The research also effectively reflects actual needs of the society.
Strategies
Based on the above conceptual framework, the following strategies have been identified for effective implementation of the National Pilot Study :
1. A collaborative action research is conducted by the entire pilot school communities for readiness preparation during the transition period of education reform along the direction mandated by the 1999 National Education Act.
2. Based on the assessment of real situation, the pilot schools learn of the status and learning reform problems of the students as well as those of the schools.
3. The pilot schools construct bodies of knowledge on the following, based on the schools' own action research :
- R & D;
- Learning process and evaluation;
- School-based management; and
- Internal quality assurance.
4. Faculty staff of teacher education institutions provide support for academic affairs and research of these institutions by learning together with the teachers and principals of the pilot schools through the latter's action research.
5. The pilot schools, teacher education institutions and other agencies concerned, join efforts in developing networks through exchanges of learnings at levels of individuals, groups and organizations.
In sum, 3 interlinked approaches for implementation of the National Pilot Study have been adopted, namely :
- Whole-school learning reform;
- Collaborative action research for learning; and
- Effective learning through the PDCA Cycle.
All the 3 approaches observe the conceptual framework and principles elaborated in the provisions of Chapter IV of the 1999 National Education Act : National Education Guidelines, with emphases on the prime importance of learners, and their capacities for self-development and lifelong learning.
Implementation of the National Pilot Study through the 3 approaches, can also be linked with the teachers' 3 functions, namely :
- Organization of teaching-learning activities;
- Research; and
- Improvement of school performance.
These approaches can be linked with the 5 functions of the principals as well. They are :
- Management of academic and general affairs;
- Internal quality assurance;
- Capacity building for personnel;
- Enhancement of relations with parents and communities, and
- Activities for students' development.
Implementation of activities for whole-school learning reform therefore has the objectives of further improving what already exists and initiating innovations. The steps taken by no means interfere with the responsibilities of all parties concerned, but are, on the contrary, attuned to the day-to-day school life.
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