Planning, Preparation and Pretesting: The Implementation of a Research Project in North-Eastern Thailand

Paper presented at: "Challenging Education for Future Change"
The 5th International Conference on Educational Research, Khon Kaen, Thailand.
8-9 September 2012.

Paper published in The 5th ICER 2012, Annual Conference Proceedings, pages 595-604.

Abstract

Human resource development is one way that globalisation can be localised from the bottom up and given a context that students, teachers, directors and educational area offices can relate to. The ASEAN economic community will be implemented in 2015 and the use of English has once again been brought to the forefront of educational debate. In order for Thailand to have a realistic chance of competing with its ASEAN neighbours, it must move quickly to make up lost ground with regard to English language learning.

This paper looks at the initial setting up of a research project that is taking place in a rural school setting in north-eastern Thailand. The project uses DVDs, comics and voice recognition software for one hour extra English language learning per week. From the distribution of consent forms to the pre-testing of participant students, it was evident that the timescales and priorities of the researcher were realistically and culturally different from the collaborating school teachers who were helping to make the project a success.

The implementation of research is a difficult task at the best of times; however, in a rural setting where internet connections are a luxury and collaboration and cooperation have to be undertaken tentatively due to possible cultural differences, this paper shows what can be achieved when researchers, teachers and students are united by wanting to develop their English language education in a sustainable way.

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