Educational Sector

Constructionism in education is the starting point of Constructionism project in Thailand. In 1997, Paron Issarasena, President of Suksapatana Foundation, invited Professor Seymour Papert and the Faculty of Educator from Media Lab of MIT, USA, to observe learning in schools. Professor Seymour Papert and other important faculty, at that time, commented that Thai students had no issues in learning; they learned fast and had very interesting ideas. They, instead, lacked learning opportunity and suitable expression. This resulted in the beginning of the association between Suksapatana Foundation and Professor Seymour Papert under the name of Lighthouse Project.
The objective of the Lighthouse Project is to be a model for new learning management which is a guiding light leading to educational change, similarly to the light from the lighthouse guiding directions to all boats in the sea. This is the beginning of the great mission driving the change in learning in Thailand ever since.

The Constructionism project was first initiated in education both within the system and informal education led by the pupils of Professor Seymour Papert who had the opportunity to learn directly from the Professor when he/she visited Thailand. Piloted by
Dr. Suchin Phetcharak and Mr. Bangkok Chowkwanyun and the support of Paron Israsena, the project has organized teacher training, how to apply it in formal education as well as non-formal education.

At first, implementing the changes in teaching methods was encountered by many resistance and obstacles from the pioneer teachers from various schools. We learned that knowledge of the new teaching and learning needed a consistent management system and aligning environment in the school to make it sustainable. In 2001, Suksapatana Foundation founded Darunsikkhalai School for Innovative Learning under the supervision of King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi as a learning model school of Constructionism in Thailand. Its objective is to be an example of the school environment that supports the concrete change of learning styles to Constructionism. Currently, this type of learning has been widely adopted by many schools and applied in their own context.

Our Network Members

Previous Projects with Education Sector

⇒  Darunsikkhalai School

Darunsikkhalai School was founded in 2001 based on the learning theory of Constructionism. Its 3 main tasks are constructing a new breed of students, constructing a new breed of teachers, and being a research and development center for educational innovation integrated with technology, academia, arts, culture, Thai ethics, and morals for lifelong learning.

Darunsikkhalai School is a model school for teaching and learning in schools, cooperative organization management, actual assessment, and university entrance exams using the Portfolio system. Students who have passed this teaching and learning system are successful learner and able to find oneself and concretely develop one’s capacity. Currently, there are a vast number of students entering higher education by presenting their portfolio containing the outstanding and full of real experience from the projects they have constructed. It also presents students’ clear interest in a profession. Currently, Darunsikkhalai School has been operating for more than 20 years.  The school has continuously had students who entered higher education in famous universities, both at home and abroad, and were offered a job at national and international companies.

Moreover, Darunsikkhalai is also a knowledge incubator for those interested in Constructionism to learn and expand it to other sectors such as industry sector, communities and schools in different areas. It is also a learning source and internship place for students, teachers from networking educational institutions that are interested in this field. It serves as a learning source for field trips, and it provides academic services as well as develops new teachers (a new breed of teachers with expertise in project management). It even is a mentor institution for personnel from those in private sector who are interested in Learning and Development and personnel development by continuously using modern learning technology.

As a leader of change and development in educational innovation network and the one who drove concrete educational reform, Paron Israsena and the teachers of Darunsikkhalai School has made the school interested and widely accepted especially in the field of creative learning that students learn through interest-based projects combined with technology and morality, ethics and the ability to learn together as friends. The Teachers Council of Thailand has honored Paron Israsena as one of the contributors to the national education in 2007.

⇒ Sankampaeng School

Sankampaeng School brought the concept of Constructionism to be applied at the school aiming to develop students to aware themselves as a Thai citizen as well as a world citizen. It gives students the opportunity to think and solve problems by themselves, conduct independent study and research from various media and technology sources. A teacher acts as a Facilitator to arrange activities that correspond to the interests and aptitudes of the students taking into account the differences between people. The teacher is also a consultant providing advice and guides on student’s mistakes and errors. From the said goal, it has led to development and improvement and became a learning activity through project-based learning using 5S learning management according to Constructionism theory (5S: steps to Constructionism) that is suitable with context of Sankampaeng School. 5 procedures include Sparking, Searching, Studying, Summarizing, and Showing and Sharing. Such learning management can encourage students to have the ability to use computers to search for knowledge, create knowledge by oneself, be confident, and have a foundation for a career to earn income while studying. Moreover, it is widely accepted that Sankampaeng School is also the learning exchange center for learning management for organizations or interested people.

⇒ Municipal 4 School (Ban Chiang Rai)

Municipal 4 School  (Ban Chiang Rai) began to apply the concept of Constructionism to suit the context of the school since 2006 with the goal of making the learner a learning human being in a learning organization and leading to a learning society Using learning activities through project work as a medium for children to think, produce, and hunt for knowledge based on their own interest. Students are required to do one project work per semester with one-month period allowed. Then, 8 learning groups are integrated. Project works are collaborative between students, teachers, parents, and other experts in various fields to exchange knowledge between each other. It is found that the integration helps all parties to find their own learning methods and be able to use them to develop their capabilities, improve 7Q and learn happily. Currently, the school now provides opportunities for those interested in sharing and supporting learning together on Constructionism more than 64 organizations since it started.

⇒ Small schools in risk group

In 2008, from the problem of being a small school that is at risk of being dissolved because number of students continuing decreased, it caused insufficient teachers for number of classes of students. 1 teacher must teach more than 2 classes at the same time resulting in a project to help small schools which are Ban Sam Kha School, Ban Na Doo School, and Ban Na Bong School to reduce teachers’ burdens by adopting Project Based Learning and assessing according to the actual conditions, both work process and work piece (Process and Product). By organizing this type of teaching and learning, it is an integration of all parties. Teachers, parents and experts in the community are a guest speaker for students with the finance support by Suksapatana Foundation and Thaicom Foundation. This type of teaching and learning can solve real problems, and now is a role model for other communities that experience similar problems.

⇒ Maptaphut Technical College: Vocational Chemical Engineering Practice College

V-ChEPC project was founded in 2008 at Maptaphut Technical College. It is a collaboration between the Petroleum Institute of Thailand, Suksapatana Foundation, and Office of Vocational Education Commission which organizes courses to develop personnel, both the employees of the establishment themselves and vocational students, to have knowledge in the work related to petrochemical fields. This project uses the same curriculum structure as the workplace to develop employees and apply Constructionism concept through Learning tools such as Meditation, Micro Worlds, Photojournalism, and LEGO-Logo for integration. There are staff from the establishment and teachers of the College to act as a Facilitator to look after and use petrochemical plants in Maptaphut Industrial Estate as a school. This does not only make the learners gain knowledge and experience from what they have learned, but also knows to learn by themselves, how to ask questions, and learns together as friends.