A Context of the Education Management Based on Multicultural Education for Ethnic Students in Higher Education Institutions of Northern Thailand

Abstract

This research aimed to 1) explore current conditions and issues on education management based on multicultural education for ethnic students in higher education institutions in northern Thailand, and 2) consider their expectation of the education management drawn upon the same. A sample group was 356 ethnic students, at their bachelor degree level, in the second semester for the year 2014, in 11 higher education institutions. The data collection instrument was a questionnaire on education management, based on multicultural education, with 3 aspects. The first aspect was institution administration: policy; organizational culture; attitudes, beliefs, and actions of staff; community participation; and language/native language of the institution. The second was curriculum and teaching and learning management: curriculum design and course of study, and institution’s learning pattern. And the third was students’ quality development: student counseling service and student assistance program. Statistics employed for analysis were frequency, percentage, arithmetic mean, and standard deviation. The findings demonstrated that the ethnic students have, with a statistical significance, the expectation of the education management in all aspects. Further, a new body of knowledge derived was that the education management clearly impacted their learning achievement. In order to enhance efficiency of education management and to elevate learning achievement of ethnic students, therefore, these institutions should design and develop a model of education management based on multicultural education, which is necessarily suitable for these students. Given this, however, such a model must be corresponding to and in accordance with the direction of the institution development strategy.