Rangsit Journal of Educational Studies

From Editor to RJES Readers

Malivan Praditteera — Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 SE Asia Daylight Time

From Editor to RJES Readers

Dear RJES Readers,
Warm greetings to all our readers. I am delighted to connect with you once again in the RJES Journal, Volume 13, Number 1 (January-June 2026). You may notice some changes in this issue: we are transitioning to a rolling publication model, where articles will be published as soon as they are ready. This approach aims to ensure that our authors can disseminate their research findings more promptly.
The first set comprised of 6 articles, and you can look forward to more of them. Hopefully you will enjoy reading them.

Warm regards,

Developing Guidelines for the Production and Professional Development System of Early Childhood Teachers in Thailand

Orn-uma Charoensuk, Manaathar Tulmethakaan1, Rungrong Sommitr — Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 SE Asia Daylight Time

Early childhood teachers, child caregivers, and assistant teachers play a crucial role in promoting the holistic development of young children. However, the system for producing and professionally developing these personnel in Thailand remains fragmented and requires systematic improvement. This study aimed to (1) synthesize research findings from three institutions producing early childhood teachers in Thailand and (2) develop guidelines for improving the production and professional development system. A qualitative research design was employed. Data was collected through documentary analysis of research reports, in-depth interviews with six key informants, and a focus-group discussion with eleven experts. The data were analyzed using content analysis. The findings identified three key factors and thirty-two guidelines for the teacher production system, including production goals, production patterns, and system management. For the teacher development system, four factors and forty-one guidelines were identified, including development goals, responsible agencies, development approaches, and system administration. The results highlight the need for coordinated implementation across national, regional, and institutional levels. The study provides policy-relevant guidelines for strengthening the system of producing and developing early childhood teachers in Thailand.

Innovative Reading Promotion Activity Model in Library

Yaowaluk Suwannakhae, Kongkidakorn Boonchuay — Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 SE Asia Daylight Time

School libraries play a multifaceted role in supporting learning and fostering reading habits among students. This qualitative study aimed to: 1) explore the current state of reading promotion activities in school libraries under the Primary Educational Service Area Office (PEASO) 1-3, Songkhla, Thailand; and 2) develop innovations and reading promotion activities models within these school libraries. Informants were purposively selected from nine schools, including school principals, experienced teachers or administrators responsible for library operations. Data were collected through document reviews, semi-structured interviews, participatory observations, and field notes, and subsequently analyzed using inductive analysis and data triangulation. The findings revealed that these school libraries lacked clear reading promotion policies and faced significant challenges across four dimensions: 1) physical environment, characterized by chaotic spaces, unorganized materials, crowding, poor ventilation, and termite-damaged books; 2) library resources, which were scarce, outdated, and unsuited for early childhood development; 3)technology, involving defective and poorly maintained computer equipment; and 4) librarians, notably the complete absence of professional librarians to oversee development. To overcome these constraints, three innovations and models driven by the SPA MODEL were developed to cultivate a love of reading and literacy skills in early childhood: 1) a library space allocation model; 2) an educational board game, "Snakes and Ladders"; and 3) two digital books, "A Little Turtle Sweet Song" and "I will Tell You a Story" Evaluated by principals and teachers, these innovations effectively revitalized the library atmosphere and enhanced students' communicative interactions. However, active adult guidance during digital reading sessions is highly recommended due to young children’s short attention spans.

The Application of the Four Strands of Language Learning with Digital Technology on the Chinese Oral Communication Skills of Thai Public High School Students

Lefei Mao, Sumalee Chinokul — Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 SE Asia Daylight Time

This study examines the effectiveness of applying the Four Strands of Language Learning with digital technology to improve the Chinese oral communication skills of Thai high school students. Using a one-group, pre-test — post-test design with 36 participants, supported by teacher observations and questionnaires, the study found significant improvement. Post-test scores (M = 91.47, SD = 6.51) were higher than pre-test scores (M = 89.36, SD = 8.16), t(35) = -3.36, p = 0.002, Cohen’s d = 0.56, indicating a moderate effect. Students reported positive attitudes toward the digital tools (M = 3.57/5), especially valuing videos, AI-assisted pronunciation apps, and online practice platforms for enhancing their comprehension and confidence. However, limited self-directed practice suggested a need for stronger scaffolding and motivational strategies. The study highlights both theoretical and practical contributions: extending Nation’s Four Strands framework to a bilingual education context, and offering actionable guidance on integrating AI-based and digital learning tools into Chinese language teaching in Thai public schools.

The Influence of Social Support on Academic Engagement among Higher Vocational College Students in Chengdu, China

Ran Wei, Feifei Wang, Prapatpong Senarith — Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 SE Asia Daylight Time

This study explored the influence of social support on academic engagement among higher vocational college students in Chengdu, China, aiming to understand the mechanisms through which social support enhances students’ learning engagement. A quantitative research approach was employed, involving a structured questionnaire distributed to 533 students. Structural equation modeling (SEM) and bootstrap analysis were used to test the hypothesized relationships.

The results showed that social support significantly improved academic engagement (β = 0.58, p < 0.001). In addition, academic self-efficacy (β = 0.46, p < 0.001) and self-regulated learning (β = 0.39, p < 0.001) were found to play significant mediating roles in this relationship. The sequential mediation effect of academic self-efficacy and self-regulated learning was also supported (β = 0.18, p < 0.01), indicating that social support enhances academic engagement through a chain mechanism of psychological and behavioral factors.

The findings suggest that social support not only directly promotes students’ academic engagement but also indirectly influences it by strengthening students’ confidence and learning strategies. These results imply that educators should pay greater attention to creating supportive learning environments and fostering students’ self-efficacy and self-regulated learning abilities. Future research should consider longitudinal designs and broader samples to further validate the stability and generalizability of these findings.

The Effectiveness of AI-based Teacher Feedback in Enhancing Textual Coherence in EFL Writing

Supong Tangkiengsirisin — Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 SE Asia Daylight Time

Academic writing remains a challenge for Thai university students, particularly in achieving textual coherence beyond surface-level grammar. This study investigates the effectiveness of AI-assisted teacher feedback—leveraging generative models like ChatGPT and Gemini—in enhancing the use of cohesive devices and thematic progression patterns among Thai graduate students. Utilizing a quasi-experimental, one-group pre-test/post-test design, the research involved 23 business graduate students (A2–B1 proficiency) enrolled in a remedial English course. Participants produced expository cause-effect paragraphs and received directive, AI-informed teacher feedback through Google Classroom. Data were analyzed using paired-sample t-tests and semi-structured interviews to triangulate writing performance with student perceptions. Quantitative results revealed a statistically significant improvement in overall textual coherence (t = 26.72, p < 0.05), with specific gains in the mastery of Theme-Rheme structures and a more diverse repertoire of cohesive ties. Qualitative findings indicated that students perceived the feedback as a vital cognitive guidance that fostered metalinguistic awareness and facilitated a smoother information flow. The study concludes that while AI provides consistent, systematic data for feedback, its integration with Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) frameworks allows students to transition from incoherent prose to unified academic discourse. These findings imply that a hybrid pedagogical approach—combining AI efficiency with explicit thematic instruction—can significantly promote textual coherence in L2 writing. This study contributes original value by bridging the gap between automated feedback technology and macro-structural discourse theories in an EAP context.

Navigating Multilingual Dynamics in Higher Education

Danutasn Brown, Chrystal Naltan, Thai Le Hang, Atipat Boonmoh — Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 SE Asia Daylight Time

In today’s increasingly internationalized higher education landscape, effective cross-cultural communication is essential for international student success and institutional inclusivity. This study investigates the role of university-led language and cultural support initiatives in promoting cross-cultural communication among international undergraduate students in Thailand. Drawing on data from 155 students through a mixed-methods design combining surveys and interviews, the research examines experiences related to language proficiency, intercultural competence, and institutional support. Findings indicate that while students engaged moderately with support programs, opinions of effectiveness varied across participants. Key challenges included indirect communication styles, cultural misunderstandings, and language barriers. Students adopted adaptive strategies such as using translation tools, seeking feedback, and joining extracurricular activities. The study concludes with recommendations for universities to strengthen cultural competency training, expand language support beyond English, and create more inclusive opportunities for intercultural collaboration.

Trauma-Informed Practices and Social-Emotional Learning in Myanmar’s Community-Led Schools

Lugyi No — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 SE Asia Daylight Time

Myanmar’s protracted conflict, intensified by the 2021 military coup, has severely disrupted formal education and deepened psychosocial needs among children. Community-led schools, established across ethnic regions both before and after the coup, have become vital in sustaining learning, cultural continuity, and psychosocial well-being. This paper reviews how trauma-informed practices and social-emotional learning (SEL) are integrated into these schools to address the layered effects of violence, displacement, and chronic instability. Evidence from Myanmar and global literature shows that predictable routines, culturally responsive pedagogy, and SEL activities help foster resilience, belonging, and recovery. Teachers play a dual role as educators and emotional supporters, while communities contribute through engagement and culturally rooted practices. The review also highlights key challenges, including limited resources, teacher well-being, and weak referral systems. These insights contribute to broader discussions on how education systems in fragile contexts can integrate academic and psychosocial support in sustainable, locally grounded ways.

Teaching through Crisis in Myanmar

Saw Yan Naung, Supong Tangkiengsirisin — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 SE Asia Daylight Time

This study examines how English language teachers in Myanmar have continued teaching after the February 2021 military coup, exploring (1) teachers’ challenges in teaching, well-being, and resources; and (2) their adaptive strategies for maintaining continuity. Adopting a critical realist stance and reflexive thematic analysis, the study draws on in-depth semi-structured interviews with three English language teachers who continued teaching during the post-coup period. Interviews were conducted in Burmese via online platforms and translated into English by the first author. Findings across four themes show that English language teaching is now organized around structural precarity. Teachers work at the edge of infrastructural stability (blackouts, weak connectivity, fragile platforms), experience intertwined emotional and professional insecurity (financial strain, safety anxieties, and witnessing student harm), and depend on fragile, informally mediated access to materials, devices, and opportunities. In response, they re-engineer pedagogy around interruption, using flexible scheduling, multi-channel delivery, semi-asynchronous scaffolds, and targeted engagement strategies, while also building informal support ecologies through peer networks and alumni groups. The study offers a practice-proximal account of ELT in a protracted post-coup crisis and shows that continuity depends on teachers’ under-recognized infrastructural, emotional, and advisory labor in highly constrained political and economic conditions.

Difficulties and Countermeasures

Neng Yang; Kanokporn Numtong — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 08:33:53 SE Asia Daylight Time

With the advancement of high-quality development in Chinese universities, the young teachers’ career development has been receiving increasing attention. They face difficulties from both inside and outside school in the process of career promotion, causing them to lose initial passion. Most proposed solutions point to the shortcomings at the institutional level of the schools or policy design, while few methods proposed from the perspective of individual teachers themselves. This study employs literature review and policy analysis to analyze the key difficulties faced by young teachers in Chinese universities. The study found that some regulations on title promotion are extremely demanding for young teachers, and some young teachers are not familiar with and actively adaptable to school policies. Finally, the paper suggests that young teachers should exploit their own professional advantages to strengthen adaptability and competitiveness, and the policymakers should further optimize the policies to advance the growth of young teachers.

A Study of Language Self-Efficacy of Upper Secondary School Students

Yanika Lunrasri, Tanata Peerakuntrakorn, Supakorn Ounsiri — Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 SE Asia Daylight Time

Self-efficacy is often a strong predictor of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) success. This research profiled language self-efficacy among upper secondary students at Bodindecha (Sing Singhaseni) School, Thailand. The study relied on stratified random sampling to select 288 students from Grades 10 to 12. Using a 32-item scale based on Wang et al. (2013), the assessment showed high reliability (α=0.96). On average, students reported moderate self-efficacy (M=4.18, SD=1.66). A closer look, however, revealed a gap between skills. Students felt safer with receptive tasks such as listening (M=4.29) and reading (M=4.24) than with productive ones like speaking (M=4.15) and writing (M=4.02). While gender and grade level had no significant impact (p>.05), the study track changed everything (F (2,285) =18.28, p<.001). Science-Mathematics students (M=4.62) were far more confident than their peers in Language-Arts (M=3.55) and Math-Arts (M=3.35). These findings highlighted how the academic environment shaped learner beliefs. To solve the issue, schools needed specific interventions for speaking and writing, along with better support for students in non-science programs.

Study of the Problems and Obstacles in the Teaching of Special Education Teachers in Yangon and Mandalay, Myanmar After the Coup

Htet Thinzar Aung, Phibun Tanyabut — Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 SE Asia Daylight Time

This research aimed to 1) study the key problems and obstacles (curriculum, teaching methods, resources, and assessment) currently faced by special education teachers in Yangon and Mandalay, Myanmar, following the 2021 military coup, including how these obstacles manifest across different professional backgrounds and educational settings, and 2) identify practical solutions and effective strategies proposed by educators to address these obstacles. The study utilized a mixed-methods sequential explanatory (QUAN  qual) design. A quantitative survey was administered to 60 special education teachers, and in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 key informants. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations), while qualitative data were subjected to thematic analysis. The findings reveal that teachers face severe and systemic obstacles, primarily a "Resource Vacuum" (lack of appropriate materials) (M=4.58) and "Teaching Blind" (lack of standardized curriculum and evaluation guidelines) (M=4.31). The political crisis has frozen institutional support, leaving teachers professionally isolated. This study, guided by Self-Determination Theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 2000) and the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R; Bakker & Demerouti, 2007) Model, found that teachers' basic psychological needs for competence and relatedness are critically unmet. Recommendations focus not on top-down policy, but on practical, peer-to-peer support networks and shared digital resource banks to address these immediate gaps.

From Cognitive Advantage to Competitive Disadvantage

Junqiao Zhang, Nipaporn Sakulwongs — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 12:08:08 SE Asia Daylight Time

Against the backdrop of the rapidly developing digital economy, digital literacy has become a critical factor influencing individuals' employability. Existing research often treats digital literacy as a homogeneous whole, lacking in-depth exploration of its multidimensional structure and its differential impacts. This study, focusing on vocational college students in Western China and based on 743 valid questionnaires, employed descriptive statistics, multiple linear regression, and Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) to systematically examine the mechanism through which the four dimensions of digital literacy (digital awareness, digital application, digital responsibility, and digital knowledge & skills) affect employability. The findings are as follows: (1) Vocational college students' digital literacy exhibits a structural imbalance characterized by "high cognition, low practice, and weak responsibility." Specifically, digital awareness scored the highest (3.67±0.99), while digital application (3.11±1.14) and digital responsibility (2.95±1.15) performed relatively weakly. (2) Regression analysis revealed that digital application (β=0.340, t=11.537^***) and digital responsibility (β=0.257, t=8.744^***) had the strongest positive predictive effects on employability, whereas the positive predictive effect of digital awareness (β=0.231, t=7.927^***) was relatively weaker. (3) IPA further indicated that digital application and digital responsibility fall into the "high importance—low performance" quadrant, representing critical shortcomings in the current cultivation system. In contrast, digital awareness resides in the "low importance—high performance" quadrant, suggesting a possible tendency of over-allocation of cultivation resources toward this dimension. The study demonstrates that the uneven development within the internal dimensions of digital literacy, particularly the shortfalls in practice and responsibility—the "knowing without doing"—may undermine the employment competitiveness of vocational college students. Vocational education should shift its focus from merely "enhancing the level of literacy" to "optimizing the structure of literacy," prioritizing the cultivation of digital application and digital responsibility capabilities to better meet the demands of the digital economy for technical and skilled talents.