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Educational Politics in Thailand: a Case of the 1999 National Education Act Sarayuth Poolsup

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Educational Politics in Thailand: a Case of the 1999 National Education Act Sarayuth Poolsup Eastern Michigan University DigitalCommons@EMU Master's Theses, and Doctoral Dissertations, and Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations Graduate Capstone Projects 2-25-2003 Educational politics in Thailand: A case of the 1999 National Education Act Sarayuth Poolsup Follow this and additional works at: http://commons.emich.edu/theses Part of the Educational Administration and Supervision Commons Recommended Citation Poolsup, Sarayuth, "Educational politics in Thailand: A case of the 1999 National Education Act" (2003). Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations. 62. http://commons.emich.edu/theses/62 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Master's Theses, and Doctoral Dissertations, and Graduate Capstone Projects at DigitalCommons@EMU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@EMU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. EDUCATIONAL POLITICS IN THAILAND: A CASE OF THE 1999 NATIONAL EDUCATION ACT By Sarayuth Poolsup Dissertation Submitted to the Department of Leadership and Counseling Eastern Michigan University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION February 25, 2003 Ypsilanti, Michigan ii EDUCATIONAL POLITICS IN THAILAND: A CASE OF THE 1999 NATIONAL EDUCATION ACT Sarayuth Poolsup APPROVAL: James Barott, Ph.D. Date Dissertation Chair David Anderson, Ed.D. Date Committee Member William Shelton, Ed.D. Date Committee Member Pat Williams-Boyd, Ed.D. Date Graduate School Representative Jaclynn Tracy, Ph.D. Date Department Head Patrick Melia, Ph.D. Date Associate Vice President for Graduate Studies and Research ii iii DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my parents, Prayoon and Prapha Poolsup, who have given me the most precious present, education. iii iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This research study was successfully completed thanks to many people who helped me along the journey. I thank my advisor and chairperson of the dissertation committee, Dr. James Barott, for his wisdom, mentoring, and encouragement in the course of this research and throughout the years of graduate school. I am deeply grateful to my committee members, Dr. Pat Williams-Boyd, Dr. David Anderson, and Dr. William Shelton for their support, openness, and enthusiasm about this non-American dissertation. I would also like to thank Dr. Jaclynn Tracy, Interim Department Head, for her support throughout my years in the Department of Leadership and Counseling. My sincere thanks also extend to Dr. Helen Ditzhazy for her mentoring and moral support. I am grateful to my friends in the doctoral cohort for their kindness and encouragement throughout the program. I especially want to thank Kevin Brandon and his family for making me feel like Michigan was my second home. I would also like to thank my parents, Prayoon and Prapha, who have always given me their love, encouragement, and support throughout my educational journeys, both in Thailand and in the United States. Finally, I want to thank my sisters, Nalinee and Lalita, for letting me have a long-distance “counseling session” with them in Thailand every weekend. iv v ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to understand educational policy-making and politics in Thailand. The researcher sought to answer the questions “What is the nature of Thai politics?” and “What is the nature of educational policy-making in Thailand?” The study followed an institutional approach to political research adopted by sociohistorical theorists (Kato, 1996; Scott, 1995). The research design was based on the qualitative, case-study strategy. The study consists of two parts: (a) an investigation into the historical development of Thai politics, society, and education and (b) the case study of the bill on the establishment of the council of teachers and educational personnel. The case study is an examination of the political conflicts occurring during the development and consideration of the bill. The conceptual framework and categories used in this study were derived from institutional theories (Scott, 1995) and the concepts of legitimacy of authority (Weber, 1924/1968), citizenship (Marshall, 1969), and political conflict (Schattschneider, 1975). The data-collection methods of document review and interviewing were used. The interviews were conducted individually with seven participants who were senior civil servants and elite political officials. The trustworthiness of the research findings was achieved by applying the constructivist criteria for evaluating qualitative research (Lincoln & Guba, 1985). The research findings suggested that the Thai political system is an exclusive system. The development of Thai politics was based on an authoritarian tradition vested in the institution of the absolute monarchy. In the past, the masses were excluded from politics by the legal system, social structure, and religious beliefs. The social structure and processes v vi constituted the normative and cultural frameworks that constrained the choices of political participation by the masses. Similar to Thai politics, educational policy-making in Thailand is an elite system controlled by senior civil servants in the Office of the National Education Commission, by the Ministry of Education, and by members of the Cabinet. The authorities decides who could get involved in the process and at what points in the process. The public was allowed to participate only in the process of drafting policies through public hearings that were organized, for the most part, to support the authorities’ agendas. vi vii TABLE OF CONTENTS APPROVAL..............................................................................................................................ii DEDICATION..........................................................................................................................iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......................................................................................................iv ABSTRACT...............................................................................................................................v LIST OF TABLES...................................................................................................................xii LIST OF FIGURES................................................................................................................xiii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND.......................................................1 Purpose of the Study......................................................................................................1 Significance of the Study...............................................................................................2 Research Design.............................................................................................................5 Definition of Terms........................................................................................................7 CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY.............................................................................................9 Research Questions........................................................................................................9 Approach to the Inquiry...............................................................................................10 Conceptual Framework................................................................................................12 Institutional Theory..........................................................................................13 Types of Authority...........................................................................................15 Concepts of Conflict........................................................................................17 Scope of Conflict.......................................................................................18 Displacement of Conflicts..........................................................................20 Research Design...........................................................................................................22 Unit of Analysis...............................................................................................25 vii viii Sampling Procedures within the Case..............................................................26 Instrumentation................................................................................................27 Research Relationship and Self-Awareness.....................................................34 Data Analysis...................................................................................................38 Validity and Reliability................................................................................................41 CHAPTER 3: HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE THAI GOVERNANCE, SOCIETY, AND EDUCATION..............................................................................................47 Ayutthaya Kingdom (1350–1767)...............................................................................47 Governance......................................................................................................48 Society..............................................................................................................50 Education.........................................................................................................54 Summary..........................................................................................................56
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