Title:
THE SURVIVAL OF TUTORIAL SCHOOLS IN THAILAND IN THE MIDST OF ACTIVE LEARNING OF SCIENCE

Authors:
Patarapol Pisanpanumas and Pratchayapong Yasri

Abstract:
Academics and educators tend to have negative attitudes towards tutorial schools, especially in science subjects. Tutorial schools have been accused as providing only rote learning and exam preparation tips, without promoting conceptual understanding through active learning. However, a number of school students and parents find tutorial schools helpful in different ways. In Thailand, there have been implementations of educational policies such as a new system of national tests and assessment systems which aim to minimise the roles of tutorial schools. However, the business of tutorial schools is still growing. This is because tutorial schools adapt themselves to meet the needs of students and parents successfully. Science teaching in tutorial schools nowadays does not only help students for exam preparations, it does also incorporate different learning supports to assist students including hands-on activities, e-learning system, and educational guidance. In addition, the quality of private tutors in terms of their educational background and teaching skills is also distinguish. Therefore, instead of rejecting tutorial schools, we propose that there are lessons that educators can learn from them. The intention of this presentation is not to compare between tutorial schools and regular schools. It only aims to broaden perspectives on the current development of tutorial schools that can benefit students significantly.