The Path from the Village: The Education of Thai Ethnic Students in Vietnam

Abstract

This paper summarises the findings of a pilot study undertaken to explore what influences the schooling and education of Thai ethnic students living in rural mountain villages in one of the poorest and least educated regions of northern Vietnam. This study used a qualitative multiple case study approach and gathered information using multiple semi-structured interviews with four senior secondary students, their parents and their teachers. Two of these students were males and two were female, and two were achieving high grades while the others were achieving low grades. This study took a socio-ecological approach. This study sheds light on what influenced the schooling and school experiences of four Thai ethnic secondary school students attending a remote rural school in Vietnam. The four student case studies illustrate the important interplay between family, school and community factors and the value of looking at schooling and school experiences from a socio-ecological perspective.