A Synthesis of Graduate Research in Curriculum and Instruction: Thai Language Program, School of Educational Studies, Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University

Abstract

The objectives of this research were 1) to analyze the characteristics of graduate research in Curriculum and Instruction: Thai Language Program, School of Educational Studies, Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University (STOU);  2) to synthesize the findings of graduate research in Curriculum and Instruction: Thai Language Program ; and  3) to study trends of graduate research in Curriculum and Instruction: Thai Language Program. The research population consisted of 157 thesis, and independent studies conducted during B.E. 2538 – B.E. 2556 by graduate students in Curriculum and Instruction: Thai Language Program, School of Educational Studies, STOU. The employed research instruments were a research characteristics synthesis form and a form containing guidelines for focus group discussion.  Data were analyzed using the frequency, percentage, and content analysis. The research findings were as follows: 1) Regarding characteristics of graduate students’ research in Curriculum and Instruction: Thai Language Program, it was found that there were 78 dissertations and thesis, and 79 independent studies. Most research studies were experimental research employing the one-group pretest-posttest design with directional hypothesis. As for the number of dependent variables, most studies had two dependent variables. Most studies used achievement tests as tools for data collection. Reliability coefficients of the tests were determined using the KR-20 formula; while validities of the tests were determined using the content validity index. The most prevalent objective of the studies was to compare the dependent variables.  Statistical procedure employed for most experimental research was the dependent t-test.  2) Most research studies in the thesis group were on topics concerning media, innovations and learning sources, followed by topics on methods of teaching; while most of those in the independent study group were also on topics concerning media, innovations and learning sources. 3) As for the trend of graduate research in Curriculum and Instruction: Thai Language Program, the following recommendations are presented: (1) regarding the independent variables, there should be studies on new teaching methods and techniques, or the creation of instructional innovations to develop learner’s skills and characteristics; (2) regarding the dependent variables, there should be studies on skills that were rarely or seldom studied in the past, especially the thinking skills; and (3) regarding the research methodology, there should be more qualitative research studies, or mixed-method studies involving both the quantitative And qualitative research methodologies.