Math & science teachers to be tested

Exams to test teacher skills in math & science. If teacher fails, to be trained, retested & if no improvement, moved to different subject.

EDUCATION  

Obec to test teachers in maths, science

Ministry moves to improve on-the-job training after poor OECD rating
7/11/2016
Dumrongkiat Mala

About 20,000 math and science teachers who teach Matthayom 1-3 (Grades 7-9) nationwide will be required to take online aptitude exams in April next year to test their proficiency in these subjects.

Thailand faces a shortage of math and science teachers, so a new effort will be made to recruit students in math, engineering and science to become teachers.

MOVE TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF STEM TEACHING

The move is part of the Education Ministry's effort to improve the quality of teachers in STEM related subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).

It is believed that some teachers in these fields may not know enough about their subjects to educate their students properly.

The exam will be organised by the Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec).

LOW INTERNATIONAL RANKING SPURS ACTION

Internationally, Thai students' performance in these subjects is poorer than in other Asian countries.

This is according to the latest Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD) Programme for International Assessment results based on the performance of 15-year-olds in math and science tests.

In the 76 nation ranking, Thailand was placed 47th, far lower than other Asian countries. Singapore emerged as best in the world followed by Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan, while Vietnam also did well placing 12th in the rankings.

DOMESTIC TESTING RESULTS: LOW  MATH & SCIENCE SCORES 

The Ordinary National Education Test (O-Net) exam measures Thai students' basic knowledge in five key subjects.

The 2015 exam scores in mathematics and science were very low, with average scores of 26.59 in math and 33.4 in science out of a maximum score of 100.

TRACING BACK POOR STUDENT PERFORMANCE TO TEACHING SKILL

Obec's deputy secretary-general, Boonrak Yodpetch, said poor performance of students can often be traced back to the skills of their teachers.

"A lack of quality teachers could probably be the answer to why providing more resources to schools has been so ineffective in improving student performance," said Mr Boonrak.

Hence, Obec is now in the process of setting up online exams to test the proficiency of teachers' in maths and science beginning in April 2017.

TEACHERS FAILING TEST TO BE TRAINED & TESTED AGAIN

"Teachers who fail to pass the test will have to attend special courses, organised by Obec, to improve their knowledge over four months from May to September. Then, they will be tested again," Mr Boonrak said.

If they fail again, they will be switched to teach in other subjects which better suit them.

On the other hand, for teachers who pass the test, their scores and performance will be part of their annual Key Performance Indicator (KPI) evaluation.

The first phase of the evaluation will only cover about 20,000 Matthayom 1-3 math and science teachers in schools nationwide.

The test will be given to teachers in other grade levels in the next stage.

SHORTAGE OF STEM TEACHERS: FOCUS ON QUALITY OVER QUANTITY

The country is now facing a huge shortage of teachers in STEM related subjects, as many experienced teachers enter retirement, Obec still favours quality over quantity.

"To improve our students' performance, we need to focus on the quality of teachers over quantity because teacher quality is a key determinant of student learning," he said.

LACK OF CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING OF MATHEMATICS

An experienced maths teacher at a school in Bangkok, who asked not to be named, said she agreed with Obec's idea because she thought many teachers nowadays do not have a deeper conceptual understanding of mathematic (beyond the solving of equations and mathematical manipulation).

She said the common core standards in mathematics stress the importance of conceptual understanding as a key component of mathematical expertise, but many teachers just think that if students know all the definitions and rules, then they possess such an understanding.

"Knowledge of procedures is no guarantee of conceptual understanding; for example, many children can execute a procedure to divide fractions without understanding why the procedure works, so we need teachers who can educate the students properly," she said.

OPENING THE DOOR TO SCIENCE MAJORS TO BECOME TEACHERS

To deal with the shortage of teachers in STEM subjects, the Education Ministry recently announced a plan to open the door to graduates in subjects other than education to teach in state schools to help solve the shortage of STEM teachers.

This means people who do not have degrees in teaching or education, but hold degrees in STEM-related areas such as engineering and computer science, would be allowed to temporarily teach in schools for two years.

In that two-year period, those temporary teachers can join training programmes to meet the requirements needed to acquire a permanent teaching licence.

The ministry acted in March of this year in response to uests from principals nationwide who were concerned as they were having a hard time recruiting teachers in STEM fields.

The ministry discussed the matter with the Office of the Teacher Civil Service and Educational Personnel Commission (OTEPC), and the Teachers Council of Thailand.

Meanwhile, university students in maths and science with strong academic records will also be offered several scholarships to become teachers after graduating.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1128773/obec-to-test-teachers-in-maths-science

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