JOURNAL OF SOUTHERN TECHNOLOGY

Teaching Japanese as a Foreign Language: Challenges of Thai Teachers of Japanese

Lunravee Patipimpakom — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0700

Japanese has been a foreign language which plays an important role in Thailand for many years. This is due to the strong connection between Thailand and Japan since World War II in economic, social, and political aspects. Now, Japanese language is even more important as there is an increasing number of business investments in the country. Thus, Japanese language teachers, be they Japanese or Thais, are playing a more crucial role in Japanese language teaching and learning. In addition to knowledge, understanding, and proficiency in Japanese language, they are also required to have teaching management skills for effective learning development which gives top priority to learners’ oral communication, more use of Japanese than Thai in class. In addition, the teaching activities can be informal and based on real-life contents, role play activities, and practical teaching topics.

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Nitsri Sangduen — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0700

The Influence of Service Innovation on Hotel Selection in Andaman Provinces

Nattawut Maopraman — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0700

Development of hotel business needs to be more effective especially in the Andaman coastal areas. Service innovation is a tool that leads to creating a competitive advantage which leads to the development of a new model that meets the customers’ needs. The purpose of this research was to study service innovation factors affecting customers’ decisions in selecting hotels in the Andaman province group using a mixed-method approach. A sample of 420 individuals was divided into 2 groups. The first is a group of 400 customers who were chosen using stratified random sampling. These customers had the experience of staying in hotels in the Andaman provinces at least 1 night. The second includes 20 hotel managers who work in the areas. They were purposely selected. A questionnaire and interview questions designed by the researcher were used as the research instruments. The questionnaire was used to elicit participants’ personal information, their perception of service innovation factors and customers’ decisions in choosing the hotels. Statistics was employed for the analysis of data collected from the questionnaire including frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation and multiple regression analysis. The data from interviews were analysed using content analysis. Results showed that overall perception of the customers about service innovation was at a high level. In addition, the interview data revealed that the informants have knowledge and understanding about service innovation and were able to define the term “service innovation.” However, they viewed that service innovation is about applying new technologies to facilitate work and provide services to customers. With regards to service innovation factors affecting their decisions in choosing hotels in the Andaman Province group, working process and environment are the two indicators influencing their selection. Findings of this study can be applied relating to service innovation in terms of systematic working process, applying technology for effective services, as well as continuous development in services along with the emphasis on safety systems during the service which will eventually meet the customers’ needs.

A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis of Service Quality Model Affecting Tourist Loyalty in the Mekong Basin Tourism Development Zones to Create Sustainable Local Economy

Siraphob Wonglaphat, Chatchai Raka — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0700

This research aims to study the influence of service quality on tourist loyalty in the Mekong River Basin Tourism Development Zone. This is quantitative research using a sample size of 400 tourists who were chosen by random sampling from tourists aged 18 and above. A questionnaire was used to collect the data. It was found that the service quality significantly affected tourist loyalty statistically, with a path coefficient of 0.98. When checking for consistency with empirical data, the index values for the consistency of the structural equation model were: χ2= 25.156, df= 18, χ22/df= 1.398, P-value= 0.121, RMSEA= 0.032, CFI= 0.999, AGFI= 0.963, indicating that all values passed the criteria of the model consistency index. In addition, R2 = 97.00, which means that all variables can collectively explain the variance of effectiveness at 97.00%. Findings of this study can give insights for tourism entrepreneurs in Mekong River Basin Tourism Development Zone. They must maintain the level of service quality in line with the image of the locality by taking good care of all tourists fairly and improving the level of service to meet the tourists’ needs and ensure that they receive the best service. In addition, entrepreneurs have to present a distinctive tourism image in order to impress tourists. This results in travelers returning to the place again and recommending it to others by word of mouth which leads to sustainable tourism for the community in the future.

Engaging the Local Community in Cultural Tourism Development: A Case Study of Tham Khao Plu Temple, Pathio District, Chumphon Province

Ousanee Sawagvudcharee, Ran Chaemchamrat — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0700

Engaging the local community in the development of cultural tourism sites is of great importance. However, the challenges encountered include differences in understanding, knowledge, diverse cultural backgrounds, and individual interests, as well as reaching out to members of each household. The research question is: What form should community engagement take to develop cultural tourism sites? This study aims to examine patterns of community engagement in the development of cultural tourist attractions and problems encountered when engaging communities in the development. Tham Khao Plu Cave in Pathio District, Chumphon Province was selected for this case study. The study uses a qualitative inquiry to study a sample of 30 individuals of Tham Khao Plu Cave community including the village headmen, community leaders, committee members, an abbot, monks, seniors, and residents around Tham Khao Plu Cave. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and data were analyzed using content analysis and thematic analysis methods. Findings indicate that patterns of engaging communities of different backgrounds require deep understanding of their thinking and culture that is exhibited through individual behaviors. It is also important to understand individual behaviors and personality to boost motivation, interest, awareness, and encourage participation in the development of cultural tourist attractions. The community is considered the cultural root, a source of local wisdom, a core of local narratives and preservation of local cultures. Moreover, it also plays a crucial role in attracting tourist interests and is key to the development of cultural tourism sites in the local community, preserving their uniqueness, art, culture, and creating compelling narratives for tourists. Therefore, this study may serve as a guide to developing sustainable methods for community engagement to foster strong foundation and further develop sustainable cultural tourist attractions.

Environmental Dimension of Sustainable Tourism Management in Lan Khoi Sub-district Municipality, Pa Phayom District, Phatthalung Province

Poonyanuch Ruthirako, Siriluck Thongpoon, Kumpee Thongpoon — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0700

Tourism activities could cause the decay of tourism resources and the surrounding environment, intrusion of natural resources, obstruction of views, destroying nature, and increasing of pollution. This study aimed to investigate environment tourism management and to propose how to reduce negative impacts from tourism activities at Lan Khoi Sub-district Municipality, Pa Phayom District, Phatthalung Province. Qualitative and quantitative research methods were applied. The data were gathered from three groups of informants: five staff members from the local municipal office and twenty entrepreneurs of accommodation and rafting who were selected by means of purposive sampling. The last group consisted of four hundred tourists who were selected using convenience sampling. A questionnaire and interview questions were used as the research instruments. Content analysis was applied for qualitative data and presented using descriptive explanation. Mean and standard deviation were used for quantitative data. The findings showed that Lan Khoi Sub-district Municipality and the enterprises have managed the waste, wastewater and organized public relations campaigns to promote public awareness in preserving natural and environmental resources such as posting relevant public signs in different places like the ones to instruct using waste bins and keeping the area clean. In terms of tourism impacts, they were classified into both positive and negative. The positive impacts were the consequences of tourism activities including the infrastructure and facilities, environmental development, employment and better incomes of the villagers, more relaxing places, more environmental awareness, and preservation of natural landscapes by local community. The negative impacts of tourism activities on the other hand, were caused by the deterioration of tourism and environment resources, obscure scenery, natural destruction, and environmental problems. This can contribute to a rise in waste and wastewater while having fewer areas of rainforests, and inappropriate use of land. Findings of this study can provide insights for Lan Khoi Subdistrict Municipality Office to apply sustainable tourism management approach. This can be done through designing practical measures and planning, conducting projects which require the local municipality, community, and enterprises to work collaboratively to reduce negative environmental effects. In addition, trainings, enforcement of law, conducting public relations activities, coordinating with relevant offices are also important in the management process. Finally, tourism business entrepreneurs should be given opportunities to exchange their ideas and take part in designing models for sustainable tourism management.

Development of Instructional Management for the Post-Covid 19 Online-learning Based on Group Discussion Method and Digital Technology to enhance Critical Thinking for Grade 8 Students at the Demonstration School of Prince of Songkla University (Secondary School)

Nilubon Katkaew, Juta Tammachart, Sofia Malee, Chanikarn Kaewjan — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0700

The purposes of this research were to study online instructional management and development of the eighth graders’ critical thinking in the post-covid-19 era based on group discussion method and application of digital technology. The subjects were 40 students in Grade 8 class at the Demonstration School of Prince of Songkla University. It can be categorized as quasi-experimental research designed by using two-repeated-measures design. The research instruments consisted of lesson plans which integrate group discussion method and digital technology and a test of critical thinking. The obtained data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, such as mean and standard deviation, and inferential statistics, such as one-way repeated measures ANOVA. Results revealed that there were three stages of managing online instructions using discussion group and digital technology in the post-covid-19 era: preparation for discussion stage, discussion stage, and conclusion stage. A variety of digital technology materials including E-book, Power Point, Youtube, Padlet, Mentimeter, Wordwall, Canva were used in these learning stages. The online learning management lesson plans based on group discussion method and digital technology were reviewed, validated and rated a very high score by the experts. The results of the online learning management based on group discussion teaching method and digital technology helped improve students' critical thinking from the three assessments. The improvement gradually increases throughout the three periods: before the experiment, during the experiment and after the experiment; and was statistically significant at the level .001. Thus, the results of the study can be used as a guideline for designing teaching and learning in response to a blended learning which can enhance students' critical thinking so that students can keep up with the changing world.

The Development of Academic Administration Process of Small Secondary Schools in Phang Nga Province

Aksornwadee Maneeprom, Sathaporn Sungkawsuttirak, Mattaniya Phongsuwan — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0700

Small secondary schools in Phang Nga Province face common problems including lack of systematic academic administration, shortage of teachers especially those who are specialized in different subjects. Sometimes, the teachers are burn out due to excessive workloads resulting in ineffective teaching. Other problems include teachers’ lack understanding of academic administration indicators, high turnover rate as the teachers tend to move to bigger schools. This causes discontinuity for the work. This research aims to study the problems in academic administration of small secondary schools in Phang Nga Province; create and develop the academic administration process along with the administrative manual; and assess the appropriateness of the new process. The research procedure consisted of three stages. Stage 1 studies problems of academic management of small secondary schools in Phang Nga Province. A sample of 76 respondents including 6 school administrators and 70 teachers were used for this stage. A questionnaire with the reliability of .89 was used to collect the data which were then analyzed for mean and standard deviation. Stage 2 aimed to create and develop the academic administrative process and an administrative manual through a group discussion with seven experts. The discussion was recorded and the information obtained was used as the data collected at this stage. Stage 3 aimed to assess the appropriateness of the academic administration process from 12 respondents including 6 school administrators and 6 heads who were in charge of administration in academic affairs using a questionnaire with the reliability of .89. The data collected from stage 3 were analysed for mean and standard deviation. It was revealed that the overall perception of the respondents regarding problems in academic administration of small secondary schools in Phang Nga Province was in a moderate level. The creation and development of the academic administration process and the administrative manual of small secondary schools in Phang Nga Province can be divided into 2 categories. The major category requires one procedure in academic administration; and the minor category requires 10 sub-procedures of academic work performance. Each procedure follows the PDCA cycle and indicators for quality assessment so that all requirements are met. Results concerning appropriateness of the academic administration process of small secondary schools in Phang Nga Province was in the highest level. When considering each aspect individually, usefulness, feasibility, and suitability, were rated in the highest level respectively. Findings of this study will be useful for school administrators as well as teachers. They can be used as a tool to develop the academic administration process.

The Model of Knowledge Management for Preservation of Local Wisdom of Thai Traditional Massage

Prasat Niyom — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0700

Since the knowledge management of Thai massage has not been in line with academic standard. While over the past 15 years, only few research studies have been done to on Thai massage. Thus, knowledge management in this field will help preserve this traditional wisdom for future use. The objectives of this research were to study problems and obstacles of knowledge management on Thai massage at the Thai Traditional Medicine Development Center and to develop digital media of knowledge management to preserve the local wisdom of Thai traditional massage at the Thai Traditional Medicine Development Center. The research areas were divided into four regions of Thailand: the central region, the northern region, the northeastern region, and the southern region. This study used the mixed method design by incorporating both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The qualitative method aims to study the status of knowledge management on Thai massage at the Thai Traditional Medicine Development Center. Content analysis based on documents, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions was conducted. The research instruments for qualitative data included interview questions and focus group discussions. The executives of the Thai Traditional Medical Center, the massage therapists, academics specializing in Thai massage, and Thai massage customers were the key informants. The quantitative method used a survey design to analyze the suitability of digital media through knowledge management. Descriptive statistics was employed in data analysis. A questionnaire to assess the suitability of digital media through knowledge management was used as the research instrument. The population included executives of the Thai Traditional Medical Center, the massage therapists, and Thai massage customers. The sample size was 593 persons selected by purposive sampling. It was found that the Union of Thai Traditional Medicine Society of Thailand might not have a clear understanding of the seven-step knowledge management process, particularly at the knowledge identification stage. A database of digital media related to Thai massage from all four regions was created for the preservation of the local wisdom of Thai Traditional Massage and published on social media. Specifically, the general Thai massage or Cha-Loi-Sak massage represents the local wisdom of the central region; the Tapping Line or Hammer massage represents the local wisdom of the northern region; the Langkasuka massage represents the local wisdom of the southern region; and the Khit-Sen massage represents the local wisdom of the northeastern region. Overall, the four types of Thai Traditional Massage focus on Sen Prathan Sib or the ten primary energy lines (paths) of Thai Traditional Massage.

The Implementation of the Student Care and Support System to Prevent Violence in Schools in the Tha Chana 2 School Network Group under the Surat Thani Primary Educational Service Area Office 2

Supattara Pusitrattanavalee, Achara Thummarpon, Chanya Thongchin — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0700

The incidence of Violence in Thai society as shown in various media outlets, is on the rise. Acts of violence are complex and diverse, and can occur in a variety of settings, including homes, communities, and schools, in various forms. The aims of this research were to: (1) to investigate issues related to student violence in the Tha Chana 2 School Network Group, (2) compare violent acts in the schools, and (3) seek suggestions regarding the student care and support system so as to prevent violence among the schools. The sample of 148 sixth-grade students in the Tha Chana 2 School Network Group was used for phase 1, while 6 administrators and 6 teachers in charge of student care and support in the same network were used in phase 2. They were selected using purposive sampling method based on two criteria namely: they must be administrators and teachers who are responsible for the student support system, then school names were randomly drawn. Instruments including a questionnaire validated by 5 experts for its quality of content accuracy and the reliability coefficient of .963, focus group questions, validated by experts for their completeness, content, and language, were employed and analyzed using mean, percentage, standard deviation, One-way ANOVA, and content analysis.
Findings revealed that: the overall frequency of violence problems found among students was relatively high. Psychological violence had the highest mean among all aspects. The comparison results of violent acts found among the students based on their age, grade, parental status, and place of residence indicated that different types of violent acts were found to exhibit different types of violent acts with a statistical significance at levels of .001, .01, and .05 respectively.Suggestions were made that participation by stakeholders in school administration is needed - i.e., parents, students, and a strong working team with effective coordination which can comprise three bodies: a leading team comprising administrators and school committee, a coordination team tasked with supporting and coordinating to maintain quality of the working system, and an operation team responsible for developing student quality through the five steps of student care and support system. Results of this study will be used to drive the process of the support system to reach individual learners to reduce violence in schools.

Thai Textbooks for Primary Education and the Depiction of Thai Rural Areas

Jakraphan Manjanda, Wanna Numun — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0700

The objective of the research entitled “Primary Education Thai Textbooks and the Depiction of Rural Areas of Thailand” was to explore the depiction of Thai rural areas through main narratives in the Pati Language Textbook used for the Thai language subject at the elementary level in Thailand and composed by the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC), Ministry of Education. Data were collected from the Pati Language Textbook series used for Grades 1-6 (Prathomsuksa 1-6), totaling six books and presented in the form of descriptive analysis. However, only the main narratives were analyzed as they had completely been rewritten by textbook experts, to be in line with the core curriculum of basic education in Thailand and the government that determines the direction for national development through education management.
Results reveals that Thai countryside are depicted in five categories. Specifically, it is sometimes referred to areas of happiness amid the abundance of nature, of representing Thainess, of pride in their ancestors, of kindness and generosity, and of in need of development. By comparing the results of the present study with the local people’s perceptions of countryside, results can offer better understanding and familiarity with the term through education and raise awareness among youths as future of the nation on the importance of respecting social diversity that exists in Thai society.

Guidelines for the Development of Operational Effectiveness in Crime Prevention and Suppression of Provincial Police Region 7

Thitima Phalithanyawong, Ekkawit Maneethorn — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0700

Changes in politics, administration, economy, and society cause less cash flow in the system and unemployment which results in social and economic inequality. This problem inevitably gives rise to various forms of crime. This research aims to 1) create guidelines for developing the operational effectiveness of the crime prevention and suppression of the Provincial Police Region 7 by using the Delphi technique from a sample of 15 experts and 2) examine the suitability and feasibility of the approach to such development by focus group discussion from a sample group of 10 officers. The data collected from interviews, a questionnaire, and a group discussion between November 2019 and September 2022, were analyzed using percentage statistics, median and interquartile range. Results indicated that developing the operational effectiveness of the crime prevention and suppression of the Provincial Police Region 7 must follow the suggested guidelines which consist of 6 aspects: self-practice (8 components), work organization (9 components), participation (5 components), crime suppression (5 components), environment (3 components), and data collection and analysis (8 components).The guidelines have a median of 4.50 or above and an interquartile range of lower than 1.50 according to the requirements. After examining the suitability and feasibility in the application of the guidelines suggested, it was found that they were suitable and feasible in all 6 aspects with their 38 subcomponents. The results of the study can be used as a guideline for developing the effectiveness of crime prevention and suppression operations for police officers to analyze the database system, conduct comparative studies for future work development.

The Development of the Information System to Control the Automatic Solar-Powered Aerator

Phairot Khaophong, Poontarasa Ounlert — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0700

The aerator is a machine used to add oxygen level in water, which will improve water quality and enhance the fertility of water resource. Nowadays most aerators depend on engines or electricity to add oxygen to water. As a result, the costs of energy and maintenance are high due to ongoing usage of the machine. This research aims to develop the information system to control the automatically computerized solar aerator. The design and development of the information system are based on the system development life cycle (SDLC). The efficiency of the system is evaluated both in the laboratory and in natural water resources by conducting the proportional testing to measure the accuracy of the system against predefined criteria with the minimum requirement of 90% at the significance level of .05 level of confidence. The research collected oxygen levels, pH levels, and temperature in the natural water resources for a total of 100 instances and found that the developed information system could control and commanded the machine to add oxygen when the oxygen level in the water fell below the required threshold. The developed information system could stop the aerator when the oxygen level reached or exceeded the required threshold. In addition, the developed information system could present results in a graphical format. For the efficiency evaluation of the information system in the laboratory, the sensors were conducted to measure oxygen, pH, and temperature 3 times. The measurements were accurate according to the predefined standards. When conducting the efficiency evaluation in the natural water resources, the developed information system could command the machine to operate and stop the air replenishment automatically. Oxygen (Z=L.33), pH levels (Z=2.66), and water temperature (Z=3.33) were measured accurately according to predefined criteria with the significance level of more than 90% at the .05 level of confidence. Farmers can utilize the automatic solar-powered aerator to treat waste water for aquaculture in remote areas where electricity is unavailable and/or to lower costs of electricity in the long term.

A Study of Thai EFL Students’ Attitudes in Using Google Translate

Asama Tasanameelarp, Tuna Girgin, Suchada Tipmontree — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0700

Google Translate (GT) is one of the popular machine translations used pervasively by foreign language learners for various purposes. This study investigated Thai EFL students’ attitudes towards the use of GT as well as the problems and drawbacks of using Google Translate. A set of questionnaires were administered to the 3rd and 4th years of Thai EFL students majoring in English for Business Communication at a university in southern Thailand (N =310). Then, in order to gather more in-depth information, ten students from each student batch were randomly selected for in-depth interviews. The quantitative data from the questionnaire were analysed for percentage and mean scores, and the qualitative data were analysed by content analysis and presented in both percentage and a descriptive way. Based on the findings, the students showed overall positive attitudes toward using GT for their English language learning (=3.70). The results from the interviews about the problems and drawbacks of using GT showed that most students received inaccurate outputs from GT. The results of the in-depth interview reported the students admitted that they rarely learn new vocabulary or sentence structures using GT because they always copied the translation outputs for their assignment submission without even double-checking. In addition, the results also reported significant factors encouraging the use of GT among EFL students, including three main causes why the students had to use GT; their limited knowledge of English, excessive amount of assignments and activities, and the difficulty of assignments. The study concluded with the recommendations for administrators, EFL teachers, and students.