Evaluation of a theoretical Structured Academic Controversy Model to see its impact on the problem-solving skills of undergraduates undertaking a Thai literature course

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Wijitnawin, P., 2020. Evaluation of a theoretical Structured Academic Controversy Model to see its impact on the problem-solving skills of undergraduates undertaking a Thai literature course. PhD, Nottingham Trent University.

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Abstract

This research was necessary as Thai B.Ed. students are not meeting the educational standards to progress onto their chosen careers. The Structured Academic Controversy Model (SACM) is based on the concept of collaborative learning, that is, learning by sharing and working together in small groups. The research aimed to evaluate the SACM and its impact on Thai B.Ed. students’ problem-solving skills in the context of a Thai literature course.

Research participants were 72 Thai undergraduates undertaking the B.Ed. programme (Thai major) at Capital City University (pseudonym) in Bangkok, Thailand. These students were matched by gender, religious affiliation (Buddhist and Muslim students) and domicile. Then, they were randomly divided into two groups: experimental and control. The experimental group was taught 14 lessons designed following the SACM. The control group was taught 14 lessons following conventional teaching methods. Prior to the experiment in the quantitative phase, the two groups were tested via a problem-solving skills test and questionnaire. They were tested again after 14 weeks. In preparation for the qualitative phase, eight students within each of the two groups were randomly selected to share opinions within focus group discussions after addressing the questionnaire in the aforementioned quantitative phase. Quantitative and qualitative data were then compared and contrasted as an integral part of the interpretation phase of the research findings.

The findings showed that the SACM supported the B.Ed. students’ problem-solving skills, that is, the process of analysing a problem and selecting and evaluating an appropriate solution. However, the SACM was limited when attempts were made to promote the appreciation of Thai literature and the application of its themes and ideas in everyday life situations. Some of the limitations of the research were that the number of research participants was overly small in comparison with the size of the target population. They were also not strictly representative of Thai B.Ed. students in general. Hence, it was difficult to make a case for the generalisation of research results to other contexts. The study could be further considered regarding SACM activities and class size, the reading of Thai literature and the improvement of teacher-student relationship.

Item Type:	Thesis
Creators:	Wijitnawin, P.
Date:	March 2020
Rights:	This work is the intellectual property of the author. You may copy up to 5% of this work for private study, or personal, non-commercial research. Any re-use of the information contained within this document should be fully referenced, quoting the author, title, university, degree level and pagination. Queries or requests for any other use, or if a more substantial copy is required, should be directed to the owner of the Intellectual Property Rights.
Divisions:	Schools > Nottingham Institute of Education
Record created by:	Jeremy Silvester
Date Added:	11 Dec 2020 14:22
Last Modified:	31 May 2021 15:09
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/41834