Constraints of Transition to Online Education in Schools during a COVID-19 Pandemic Evidence from Thailand

Abstract

In response to the rising concern about the current COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand, a number of schools canceled all campus activities such as workshops, conferences, and sports. Schools moved rapidly to transition from face-to-face instruction to an online delivery mode. This study sought to assess the constraints of transitioning to online education in schools during the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand. Little research could be found on the subject, therefore this study intends to expand the understanding of the constraints of transitioning to online education in schools during a pandemic in Thailand. The study has employed face to face interviews with the director and a focus group of teachers and students from Kasetsart University Laboratory School Center for Educational Research and Development, Thailand. The study found that teachers and students alike expressed the importance of and their support for online education.  The more personal one-to-one nature of online classes was found to be useful when used in conjunction with in-class sessions with larger groups to target reoccurring questions, interact with the quieter students, and to build “a sense of the course as a dynamic shared enterprise”. However, students and teachers also believe that students learning online feel a weaker sense of connectedness and belonging than on-campus students who regularly attend face-to-face classes. The key implication is how to develop a series of practical recommendations to facilitate the successful adaptation and implementation of a blended approach to learning delivery during the pandemic