Enhancing ASEAN Community educational cooperation in Thailand through a school partnership program with Indonesia: Policy performance, choices, and recommendations

Abstract

The educational policy in Thailand supporting the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Community has inspired a school partnership program between Thailand and Indonesia. This research study analyzed the program’s performance over the decade since it began and proposes policy choices and practices by integrating policy concepts, principles, and output. Multi-method qualitative research was done, with data collected by document analysis, in-depth interviews, school visits, and performance self-assessment by practitioners. Samples, policy implementers and related stakeholders at both the central level and at local schools were chosen by purposive sampling. The study found that operating policy and program challenges appeared during implementation, including resource allocation, practitioner knowledge and skills, communication by policy level, tri-party agreements among Thailand, the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Regional Open Learning Centre (SEAMOLEC) and Indonesia, lack of coordination between the center and teachers, and external situations, especially the COVID-19 pandemic. Recommendations included the following: (1) alternatives for policy decision-making that may occur under three conditions: policy revision, change, and termination; and (2) strategic mapping for practical inference by incorporating between the context, input, process, product (CIPP) model of educational program evaluation and the Honig model to create a concept of effective educational policy implementation including policy design, implementer development, and operation unit preparation.