Thammasat Journal

Lessons for social work development in crisis situations

2024-12-24T11:42:39+07:00

Social work practice during the COVID-19 pandemic can be learned and lead to the development of future practice. This article, therefore, aims to study social work practice during the COVID-19 situation and to reflect on the guidelines of social work practice for future crises that may occur. The study was a qualitative study with 16 social worker informants who gave in-dept interviews for this study. It was found that social work practice was adaptable and flexible to changing situations. That is to say, there was a call for assistance and collaboration from multidisciplinary teams and volunteers, the use of technology in social work practice, and cross-functional policy-making processes. However, in terms of research in the social work field, further studies and development are needed. For this reason, it is suggested that the guidelines should include the following aspects. First, social workers should review and develop their knowledge and skills. Also, organizations need to prepare sufficient resources and bring technology and innovations into social work practice, including developing leadership skills for team engagement. Another important aspect is participation from all parties and having short- and long-term crisis action plans. In addition, operating guidelines should clearly be set up, and a variety of service channels network should be created, including the networks, volunteers and local communities to systematically collect knowledge. Also, government or central agencies must be more integrated, as well as amend regulations that hinder operations.

High school student misconceptions about force and motion related to Newton’s laws of motion at Thammasat secondary school

2024-12-24T13:15:29+07:00

This research explored and analyzed misconceptions about force and motion, based on Newton’s laws of motion; and compared the influence of gender, class level, career interest, science and mathematics scores at the junior high school level, and interest in physics on misconceptions about Newton’s laws of motion. The volunteer research population was 40 students enrolled during the 2020 academic year at Thammasat Secondary School, Pathum Thani. Data were gathered using a diagnostic test from the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) test and analyzed by percentage and mean, as well as using semi-structured interviews. The study revealed that students scored an average of 70.51% in the survey, with the most misconceptions about kinetics (42.50%) and the least about active forces (21.04%). In addition, class level and career interest affected misconceptions about Newton’s laws of motion. Mathayom Suksa 5 level students had fewer misconceptions than those in Mathayom Suksa 4, while students interested in science-related careers had the least misconceptions, with a median score of 8.00. Students interested in social science and science careers had a median score of 6.00, and those interested in social science careers had a median score of 4.00, with a 95% confidence level.

The influence of well-being at work and resilience on work performance of university staff after the COVID-19 pandemic

2024-12-24T13:28:59+07:00

The purpose of this study was to analyze well-being at work, resilience, and work performance and to examine the influence of well-being at work and resilience on work performance among university staff after the COVID-19 pandemic. Simple random sampling was employed to collect data. A total of 105 university faculty staff participated in the study. A quantitative approach was applied using an online questionnaire investigating well-being at work (positive and negative affect), resilience, and work performance. The data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and path analysis. The results indicated that the staff rated positive affect, resilience, and work performance at a good level, but they rated negative affect at a slight level. The results revealed a good fit of the model with the empirical data (χ² = 0.000 P = 1.000, GFI = 1.000, RMSEA =0.000). Moreover, the findings indicated that positive affect, negative affect, and resilience can directly predict work performance by 42%. Work performance was most directly influenced by positive affect, followed by negative affect and resilience, respectively. Additionally, it was found that work performance was indirectly influenced by positive affect and negative affect through resilience at the statistical levels of .001 and .05. respectively.

Policy assessment on tourism development and promotion in the Eastern special development zone

2024-12-24T13:44:08+07:00

The assessment of policies for the development and promotion of tourism in the Eastern Economic Special Development Zone is of great importance for economic development and reducing income inequality in the region. The government has consistently allocated budgets and implemented projects to support tourism development in this economically significant area of the country. However, conducting an evaluation and study using tools from the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and selecting key projects based on performance indicators, as well as surveying the opinions and experiences of 250 individuals in the area, is essential.

This evaluation aims to provide guidance for the government in promoting tourism in the Eastern Economic Special Development Zone. The assessment, conducted between 2021 and 2024, also seeks to formulate strategic recommendations to effectively drive government projects, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of the study indicate that the third strategy, concerning effectiveness, impact, sustainability, and connectivity, falls within a moderate range. However, factors related to economic development projects, local community engagement, and efficiency have performed at a higher level. In order to ensure the sustainability of the success achieved in the 2021-2024 projects, it is imperative to push for strategic directions and recommendations for further development. Specifically, strategic recommendations should focus on restructuring to enhance integration, and budget allocation must be sufficient to continuously elevate the development and promotion of tourism in a sustainable manner.

Social impacts and pandemic responses to COVID-19 in Udon Thani province

2024-12-24T14:09:52+07:00

The objective of this research is to study the social impacts and pandemic responses to COVID-19 in Udon Thani Province, applying the United Nations’ COVID-19 impact analysis framework. The study focused on three main areas: public health, human security, and education. Qualitative research methods, including document analysis, focus groups, and discussion groups, were employed. The research utilized various related documents, such as quarterly/yearly reports, health statistics, academic articles, and news. The study involved representatives addressing social impact within the area, totaling 7 informants, as well as 15 representatives from government, the private sector, and academia in the discussion group.

The valuable results indicate the following: 1) in the field of public health, Udon Thani faced challenges in acquiring essential items such as face masks, hand sanitizers, a shortage of quarantine facilities, as well as communication and information dissemination. These led to the creation of collaborative networks between government, private, and public sectors to collectively respond to this crisis. 2) in the field of human security, the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on vulnerable people and laid-off workers, which also affects their families. This led to a reevaluation of comprehensive support mechanisms. Moreover, Udon Thani continued to implement community-based initiatives “Home-Hub project” to support these people. 3) in the field of education, Udon Thani had a group of economically disadvantaged students, comprising 13% of the student population. Most of these students came from financially challenged families who faced difficulties in providing online learning equipment. There was also a risk of these students dropping out of the education system. Both communities and schools support measures, including reduced tuition fees, support for online learning tools, and extended sessions during the pandemic.

The strategic proposal is to build community resilience to address the social impacts of future crises. This includes: 1) a shared public health policy through community networks as the primary mechanism for cooperating within the area, as well as expanding cooperation with neighboring countries; 2) a community-sharing policy, allowing all parts of the area to share resources or funds to address specific crises, both physical resources (or hardware) like face masks and information resources (or software) like news; 3) a collaborative education policy that builds a network of educational cooperation between homes, communities, and educational institutions to ensure children continue to receive education during crises, serving as a resource-sharing and common space initiative.

Effects of group psychology counseling in rational emotive behavior therapy program with muscle relaxation techniques on stress and anxiety in graduate student

2024-12-24T14:20:11+07:00

The objectives of this research are to: 1) study the effects of group counseling psychology program based on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) with Muscle Relaxation Techniques (MRT) on stress and anxiety levels among graduate students, 2) study the impact of counseling psychology knowledge on the stress and anxiety levels of graduate students, and 3) compare stress and anxiety levels between the experimental group and the comparison group of graduate students after the experiment.

The research sample consists of 16 graduate students, selected through purposive sampling, and divided into two groups, with 8 students in each. The experimental group received the group counseling psychology REBT with MRT for 8 sessions, while the comparison group received counseling psychology knowledge for 4 weeks. The research tools used in the study include Suanprung Stress Test-20 (SPST-20) and Thai Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (Thai-HADS).

The results revealed that: 1) stress and anxiety in the experimental group decreased with statistical significance (P < .01) after using the REBT with MRT program, 2) The stress in the comparison group decreased with statistical significance (P < .01), while anxiety showed no different change, and 3) stress and anxiety levels in the experimental group were significantly different from those in the comparison group (P < .01). These results suggest that the program can be effectively used for group counseling and psychological treatment in daily life, especially in various crisis situations.

“The Poor’ Savings Fund”: Developing microfinance for the urban poor, A case study of Amphoe Muang, Amnat Charoen

2024-12-24T14:25:26+07:00

This research article examines the problem of microfinance access for poor households in Amnat Charoen municipality. Also, it presents the development of a microfinance model, especially microsavings that is appropriate and conducive to accessibility of the poor by using the concept of the poor economy, microfinance, and microsaving. This study used a combination of qualitative research, quantitative research, and participatory action research. The researcher found that the design of microfinance services did not take into account the context of the poor because they were not truely regarded as the main target. As a result, the majority of the poor are unable to access these services, are stigmatized, and are deprived of social services and benefits. In addition, there is a common myth that the poor cannot save, have no potential to save, or don’t want to save. This leads to the design of microfinance services that do not correspond to the context of the poor from the outset. In fact, the poor can save, and saving is the first service that the poor need. Therefore, appropriate microfinance models for the poor should take into account the limitations, problems, and needs, while also adjusting to be consistent with the sociocultural conditions in each area and proceeding gradually. This allows the community to learn, trust, and accept different contexts of the poor, while making the poor accessible, responsive to the needs of the poor, and sustainable at the same time. However, providing services to the poor through mixed community financial organizations may have management restrictions, which may affect poor people’s savings and fund growth. On the other hand, it has specific characteristics that are conductive to long-term strengthening and sustainability.

The Lao nation-building movement through historiography (1955-1985)

2024-12-24T14:35:26+07:00

This research focused on the development of historiography in Laos history from 1955 to 1985 to provide a framework for examining two subjects: 1) the historical development of post-independence Laos from 1955 to 1975; and 2) the conceptual historiography of Laos during the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) era from 1975 to 1985. The method was used to compile a record of past occurrences.

The results showed that understanding by Laotian historians evolved according to temporal context and political situations. Two subjects were: 1) the historical development of post-independence Laos from 1955 to 1975, which is an internal context of the political power transition aimed at creating a popular history and nations building by royal institutions; and 2) the conceptual historiography of Laos during the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) era from 1975 to 1985, which reflects a new socialist political context and ideas external to Laotian society that influenced the creation of Laos historiography across different historical periods.

Lessons learned from socio-cultural measure for drought risk mitigation: A case study of Ontai subdistrict municipality, Chiangmai province

2024-12-24T14:39:21+07:00

This qualitative research aimed to analyze the lessons learned and evaluate the project of the continuance and conservation of Huai Lan watershed forestry to mitigate drought risks and impacts of On Tai subdistrict municipality, Chiangmai Province. Data were derived from focus groups, in-depth interviews, and questionnaires with 50 participants (using a selective sampling method), which included those from municipal administrators, project administrators, community leaders, and community members. Results were evaluated and analyzed through the application of CIPP (Context-Input-Process-Product evaluation model) model and revealed that the continuance and conservation of Huai Lan watershed forestry as a socio-cultural measure, played a vital role in mitigating drought risks for watershed forestry and water resources in On Tai subdistrict municipality. This study proposed guidelines to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the project through the following means: 1) managing the database and knowledge as a systematic process 2) monitoring and evaluating the entire process with a community-based participation plan 3) promoting public relations by using modern media and technology 4) supporting the role of new generation in driving socio-cultural activities in the community and 5) integrating local wisdom of Huai Lan watershed forestry conservation into the youth learning modules.

Affecting factor on role cooperation network for sports sponsorship

2024-12-24T14:51:51+07:00

The research aimed to study the factors affecting the role of cooperation networks for sports sponsorship. The survey research tool was a questionnaire collected from 567 sponsorship organizations listed in the sports sponsorship registered databases at the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) and was analyzed using structural equation modeling techniques. Factors influencing corporate sports sponsorship through cooperation networks include social causes,

social devotion, sports sponsorship and brand sponsorship support, all of which are causally related to sports role cooperation network at 0.05 level. The analysis results show aspects of network cooperation in sports role for sponsoring organizations’ illustrated in the following equation formulas: social devotion = 0.705 (cause-related for society); R²= 0.497, sports sponsorship = 0.546 (cause-related for society); R² = 0.298, brand sponsorship support= 0.081 (social devotion) + 0.867* (sports sponsorship); R²= 0.811 and affecting sports role cooperation sharing = 0.121 (social devotion) + 0.188 (sports sponsorship) + 0.661 (brand sponsorship support); R² = 0.487. The development models empirically aligned with the evidence and forecasted at an acceptable level of 48.7%, which passed the standard level of 40% (statistical values of χ²/df = 2.977, P < 0.05, RMSEA = 0.049, RMR = 0.045, GFI = 0.970, AGFI = 0.920, CFI = 0.903). The results facilitate and support the beneficial impact of the sports cooperation network for private sponsoring stakeholders, government offices, and sports spectators.