There are two options for a non-education degree holder who is currently “teaching” in Thailand to secure a teacher’s license: either to take the Professional Knowledge Test administered by the Teachers’ Council of Thailand or to enroll in the Graduate Diploma in Teaching offered by universities in Thailand and abroad.
The Professional Knowledge Test administered by the Teachers’ Council of Thailand is getting a very tepid response from the foreign teaching community. It is marred with many issues like the level of difficulty, the reliability and validity of the test itself, the poor construction of questions with confusing and long choices of answers, and the added arbitrary culture-related questions to test’s coverage. Starting from the first until the third round of testing held in the past year, results showed that only one or two test takers were able to pass all four major sections of the test. The first section on language and technology, and information technology is passable. However, the second section on curriculum and material development; the third section on educational research; and the fourth section on teaching psychology are proven to be extremely difficult. Many test takers are frustrated not necessarily with the results but with the test construction and design. Rumor has it that the Professional Knowledge Test is being currently revised. Unfortunately, it seems that the rumor has to stay a rumor. The fourth round of testing is scheduled this summer 2009. Those who intend to take the test must visit www.ksp.or.th for details.
Another option is to enroll in the Graduate Diploma in Teaching offered by universities in and outside Thailand. The problem with the Graduate Diploma in Teaching offered by some universities in Thailand is the cost and availability. The program costs 60,000.00 Baht to 150,000.00 depending on which university that offers such program. Then the program requires full attendance which is impractical and unrealistic to foreign teachers working in the provinces. Even those who are teaching in Bangkok find the schedule hectic and stressful. True, it is a matter of time management but considering the financial burden a foreign teacher outside Bangkok needs to bear just to attend regular classes; it would cost a lot of his savings and effort.
The good news is a foreign teacher can enroll in an online or modular course offered by universities abroad, provided that such course is legal and accepted by the academe where the university is located. The Teachers’ Council of Thailand can not dictate where, when and how can a foreign teacher pursue his academic endeavor. In other words, the Teachers’ Council of Thailand is interested to what document, in this case the Diploma and the Official Transcript of Records, is presented by the foreign teacher in applying for a teacher’s license. It is a fact that many foreign teachers are currently teaching all over Thailand without any education degree but with a considerable number of years of teaching. This is a very important factor that needs to be considered in setting up online or modular courses specifically the Graduate Diploma in Teaching program.
Filipino teachers with non-education degrees who are teaching in Thailand are given this privilege by Philippine law through Sultan Kudarat Polytechnic State College. Sultan Kudarat Polytechnic State College, as a government-subsidy, responded to this particular need of Filipino teachers in Thailand. Other foreign nationalities are also welcome to take part in this online or modular program. Financially, the cost of the Graduate Diploma in Teaching – modular program fits to the average income of a Filipino teacher in Thailand. It can also be availed in a staggered mode of payment. Academically, modules and video-recorded lectures are carefully planned and prepared to meet the theoretical competencies of the said course. The student corresponds through email with the professor in charge to discuss complicated theories and/or to seek more information on certain topics. The disadvantage of a modular course is that it is loaded with many assignments and paper presentations. But such is the nature of a modular coursework program. Pedagogically, students who are teaching will learn from their own experiences and thus their actual teaching needs to be evaluated. Sample recorded teaching is needed to evaluate the student’s performance. I believe that Sultan Kudarat Polythecnic State College is in a better position to model out this modular program in Thailand. For details on curriculum, admission and schedule, please visit http://skpsc-bkk.page.tl/
