Thai Teacher Perceptions of an American Based Data Processing Model

Abstract

The purpose of thais study was to determine the important fundamental principles and concepts which should be included in a data processing program for Thai secondary schools. State curriculum guidelines of the United States, related literature, and pilot study data were reviewed to develop an instrument which included the most fundamental principles and concepts which might he included in a data processing program for Thai secondary schools. Forty-six topics in six categories were chosen for the final questionnaire. This questionnaire was mailed to 210 business teachers and collegiate educators in Thailand. They were asked to rate the appropriateness of each topic for a data processing program for Thai secondary schools. One hundred one usable responses were analyzed in this study. Based on the findings of the study, it can be concluded that: 1. Most data processing curriculum guides of the State Departments of Education concentrate on the following six areas: introduction to data processing data entry, programming cycle, programming language, social implications, and supportive studies. 2. Some form of prerequisites, like typing ability and familiarity with business subjects, are considered necessary. 3. Introductory courses are offered first in the data processing programs while programming languages and applications are taught last. 4. BASIC and COBOL are the most commonly taught programming languages. 5. Concepts of data processing ststems were ranked highest by both respondent groups. Consequently, it served as the nucleus of a well-developed curriculum. 6. All topics relating to introduction to data processing, data entry, and programming cycle category received a high recommendation and should be included in a Thai data processing program at the secondary school level.