Thai School Teachers’ Preparedness and Perceptions of More-English-in-schools (MEIS) Policy

Abstract

As far as English language ability is concerned, Thailand has a lot of room for improvement. Efforts to boost Thailand’s language skills abound. In this study, Thai school teachers in two primary schools were asked to answer questionnaires on their English language use in their schools, their preparedness, and their perceptions of the policy to add more English into the schools. Twenty-three school teachers from two schools participated in the study. The data collection was done in March 2018. Those school teachers participated in the English Plus Program (EPP) workshops, aiming to equip them with concepts and techniques to add more English elements in their classes and their schools. The teachers underwent six hours of training. At the end of the workshops, they were asked to reflect on the lessons and answer the questionnaires. It was found that the majority of the school teachers perceived themselves to be moderately prepared for the MEIS policy. They believed it was a useful policy and recognized the role of support from the students’ parents, the community, as well as the school administrators.