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Promoting Earth System Science in Thailand
Pornpun Waitayangkoon, GLOBE Country Coordinator for Thailand, and GLOBE Thailand,
Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Thailand
T
he Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and
Technology (IPST), an autonomous body within the Ministry
of Education, was appointed as the coordinating and imple-
menting agency for the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit
the Environment (GLOBE) programme in Thailand on 30 September
1999. IPST has committed the GLOBE Mission to enhancing the
awareness of individuals throughout the nation to benefit the envi-
ronment, contributing to scientific understanding of the Earth as a
system and supporting students across the curriculum with a focus
on student research in Earth System Science (ESS).
GLOBE Thailand shares the common goals of the GLOBE programme:
• To increase scientific understanding of a new discipline of ESS
using hands-on, minds-on and scientific inquiry approaches
• To enhance students’ scientific inquiry, scientific thinking, and
scientific attitude through student-teacher-scientist-community
collaboration research
• To inspire the next generation of global scientists.
IPST considers the GLOBE programme to be an integral part of its
mission to improve the quality of school science and mathematics
education in Thailand. The GLOBE philosophy and scientific inquiry
approaches foster active, meaningful, local and global environmen-
tal science education, using existing technologies. IPST provides
up to ten full-time personnel comprising academic
staff and seconded part-time senior specialists, with an
annual budget of USD200,000. About half of the budget
is allocated to supporting IPST’s key university part-
ners, based on their project proposals, to run GLOBE
activities in schools in their vicinities.
During the 12 years of GLOBE’s implementation in
schools, it has become more institutionalized through
the creation of collaborative efforts between IPST and
its partners in universities and governmental, non-
governmental, and private organizations.
1
The major
activities undertaken include:
• GLOBE resource and training material localization and
development
• Trainer and teacher professional development
• Curriculum integration
• Research and collaboration
• Partnership and network development
• GLOBE communications.
GLOBE Thailand currently has 174 GLOBE certified
trainers, four master trainers, four partners, 35 active
university networks, 776 active schools and 413 student
researchers.
Dr. Charlie Navanugraha, Soil Scientist, Dean of faculty of Environment and
Resource Studies, Mahasarakham University, advises students in soil sampling
Students activity in soil activities
Image: GLOBE Thailand
Image: GLOBE Thailand