EDL 704: Seminar in Educational Change

Course Instructor
Rie Atagi, Ed.D.
Mobile: 086-013-6862
E-mail: rieatagi@hotmail.com or alternatively, rieatagi@csloxinfo.com

Course Description
This is a seminar to discuss issues in educational change. It reviews the theories of
policy cycle, decision making and leadership, and examines the three cases of
educational change: 1. Thailand’s current educational reform; 2. Education toward
democracy in China; and, 3. Teacher policies of OECD countries. Through
examination of these cases, students are expected to learn multiple aspects of issues in
educational change and to develop analytical and critical thinking. A site-based action
research project is required to apply what is learned into practice.

This course will aim at your acquiring:

• Knowledge of basic theories of educational change.
• Understanding of multiple aspects of issues in educational change.
• Analytical and critical thinking to examine issues in your own surrounding.
• Development of skills to propose and plan for educational change.

Course Schedule

November 29 (Sat): 9 am ~ 6 pm: Introduction, Review of Theories, and Educational

Reform in Thailand
• Course overview and explanation of the assignments
• Review of theories
o Leadership theories
o Models of decision making
• Thailand’s current education reform
o Review of policy cycle
o Why is the educational reform needed?
o What is the framework and content of Thailand’s educational reform?

November 30 (Sun): 9 am ~ 6 pm: Issues in Teacher Policy – International Experience

and Issues in Private Tutoring
• Review of “Teachers Matter – Attracting, Developing and Retaining Effective
Teachers” findings.
o What are the main concerns about teachers of the OECD countries?
o Common policy directions in attracting, developing and retaining
teachers
• Review of “Supplementary Shadow Education”
o What are positive and negative factors of private tutoring?
o How does that affect formal schooling?
o What is your opinion and suggestion?

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December 2 (Tue): 6 pm ~ 9 pm: Case Study – China
• Educational change in China - toward democracy (watch BBC video)
o What are the challenges they are facing?
o If you were a teacher there, how would you deal with the election?

December 4 (Thu): 6 pm ~ 9 pm: Thailand’s current education reform – continued

from Day 1
• Each student will present one’s reflection on the following questions.
o What is the progress to date?
o What are the issues and challenges?
o What changes do you see in your school?

December 6 (Sat): 9 am ~ 6 pm: Thailand’s current education reform presentation –

continued and class teaching of “Teachers Matter”
Each student will lead the class on one chapter chosen from “Teachers Matter.”

December 7 (Sun): 9 am ~ 6 pm: Class Teaching - continued

Each student will lead the class on one chapter chosen from “Teachers Matter.”

Assignments

1. Presentation
We will learn about the current educational reform in Thailand. You are to choose one
chapter from the National Education Act and present the issues and challenges in
promoting the chapter. Your experience of how the changes are affecting your school
and your reflection on how to promote the reform (or not to) should be included.
Presentation time will be approximately 15 minutes.

2. Class Teaching

You will have 30-40 minutes to lead a class to discuss teacher policy. The text is
“Teachers Matter – Attracting, Developing and Retaining Effective Teachers”. Each
student will choose one section or chapter from the text (Ch.3~ 6).

The assignment aims at deepening your understanding of issues around teacher policy
and developing effective communication skills.

3. Action Research/Action Plan for Implementing Educational Change

(December 17, Wed: = Paper due)

You are to choose one issue or challenge that you think is important and worth taking
initiative to solve or improve the educational situation through developing a project
proposal with an action plan. The topic should be chosen from what is learned from
the course (teacher policy and educational reform). The action plan has to be practical
and feasible to implement. Your analytical and critical thinking of the issues should
be the focus of the paper.

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The guidelines of how to make a project proposal and how the project should be
evaluated will be discussed in the beginning of the course.

You are to submit the paper by December 17 (Wed) to rieatagi@hotmail.com. (I will

confirm the receipt by e-mail reply.) The proposal should be no more than 10 pages,
single space and 12 point font.

Evaluation
Letter grades will be given based on the following criteria.
• Class participation (30%)
• Class presentation (40%)
• Final paper (action research proposal) (30%)

References

Text
1. National Education Act B.E. 2542 (1999) and Amendments. Office of the
Education Council, Ministry of Education, Kingdom of Thailand. Available at
http://www.onec.go.th
2. Attracting, Developing and Retaining Effective Teachers: Teachers Matter
(2005) OECD. Available at http://www.oecd.org/document

Suggested Reading

3. Fullan, Michael. (2001) The New Meaning of Educational Change. (third

edition). New York: Teachers College Press.

4. Owens, Robert. (2001) Organizational Behavior in Education: Instructional

Leadership and School Reform. Boston: Allyn and Bacon Inc.

5. Hoy, Wayne K. and Miskel, Cecil G. (2002). Educational Administration:

Theory, Research, and Practice. New York: McGraw Hill Inc.

6. Education in Thailand (various years) available at www.edthai.com

7. Tomlinson, Harry. (2004) Educational Leadership: Personal Growth for

Professional Development. London: Sage Publications

8. Adler, Nancy J. (2002) International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior.

Southwestern Thomson Learning.

9. Goleman, Daniel. (1998) “What Makes a Leader?” in Harvard Business

Review

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Guideline for Action Plan

1. Identify an issue: Explain your vision

2. Explain why it is a problem:
a. Define the issue
b. Provide evidence
c. Demonstrate the need for change
3. Establish objectives
4. Explain the procedure: how you approach
a. Plan of action
5. Identify logistics, who, how much and how long and where
6. Hypothesize results and key obstacles
7. (Evaluation criteria)

Evaluation Criteria for Paper

1. Is your vision clear? (30%)

2. Is your action plan viable? (30%)
3. Is the issue well-speculated? (40%)

In addition to the above, demonstration of understanding of what you have learned in

the course will be evaluated in the final written format.