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From the bottom up: A case study of teacher training for primary school teachers of English in a Thai school in north eastern Thailand
Paper presented at: “Actualizing Potentials in Language Education.” Paper not submitted in person due to airport closures in Thailand.
“ELT in the Next Decade: Sharing, Caring and Daring.”
Paper published in English Language Teacher Education and Development, Volume 12, Winter 2009, pages 31-43. Access paper at: http://www.elted.net/4%20Steven%20Graham.pdf
Abstract
Since the 1999 Education Act, large scale teacher training of primary school teachers of English in Thailand does not seem to have produced any tangible evidence of an improvement in English language teaching and learning. Some educational commentators would suggest that as the rest of ASEAN moves forward, Thailand is standing still.
This case study outlines a small scale initiative by a rural school to develop teacher training at grass roots level in the expectation that the model developed will be able to be transferred to other schools and districts in the Isaan area of Thailand.
Teacher training instigated from the bottom up, rather than the regulation top down is not new; however, for real educational reform to take hold, teachers must take responsibility for their own development and in conjunction with the Ministry of Education develop programs which motivate teachers to adapt to student centred communicative teaching.
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