COVID-19 as a game changer in a Thai university: a self-reflection

ABSTRACT

The coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) has changed the ‘rules of the game’ significantly in organisations and educational institutions worldwide. Many schools and universities have switched classes from a face-to-face interaction to an online setting due to the imposition of lockdowns. However, in developing and middle-income countries, the guidelines pertaining to online teaching and learning are insufficient. In Thailand, which is the focus of this paper, the transition has been met with numerous constraints, even in elite universities. However, few studies have analysed the issues involved in this transition. The first author, who works at one of the leading universities in Thailand, reflects on how her workplace was impacted. This reflective paper aims to discuss three challenges that the first author observed, namely: in (1) transition to online learning, (2) reversed hierarchy, and (3) impacts on the students.

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-19
• Thailand
• university
• online learning
• dropout
• faculty members

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jarintorn Wintachai

Jarintorn Wintachai is a lecturer at Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. Jarintorn has been actively involved in researching and supporting school reform in Thailand, based on an approach called as school as learning community (SLC) or lesson study for learning community (LSLC). Her research interests are: student motivation, positive classroom management and psychological aspects of SLC.

Thi Diem Hang Khong

Thi Diem Hang Khong obtained her Ph.D. in education from the University of Queensland, Australia. Her research interests include teacher learning and professional development, academic development, classroom talk, collaborative learning, school reform, LSLC, education policy, and education in Southeast Asian countries. She has jointly published papers and book chapters in those domains.

Eisuke Saito

Eisuke Saito is a lecturer at Faculty of Education, Monash University, Australia. Eisuke has been working with the teachers and school leaders for school reform in South East Asia for more than a decade, based on LSLC too. His research interests are: LSLC, school reform, collaborative learning, and teacher professional development in South East Asia.