Perception of an Innovation Demonstration School in Rajamangala University of Technology, Thanyaburi - Innovation Demonstration School

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Education is the foundation of our economy. What and how we learn in school determines who we become as individuals and our success throughout our lives. It informs how we solve problems, how we work with others, and how we look at the world around us. In today's innovation economy, education becomes even more important for developing the next generation of innovators and creative thinkers. However, there is a significant gap between the potential of modern education and what many students are learning. The adoption and exploration of innovative ideas in education are often slow. Instead, many educators still cling to old and increasingly ineffective methods of teaching. But as the great poet William Butler Yeats once said: "Education should not be the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." Using innovative teaching methods to better serve students and to teach them about the benefits of innovative thinking, does so much more than just "fill the pail." It ignites a passion for learning and provides students with the tools they need to succeed in the innovation economy. Thus, there is a need to discover new ways to enhance the teaching and learning process.

METHODS

This study was guided by the phenomenological research method. Data were collected from face-to-face interviews and focus group discussions with the three (3) school administrators and ten (10) teachers who are currently teaching in Rajamangala University of Technology, Thanyaburi-IDS.

RESULTS

The results of this study show that the main objective of an innovation demonstration school is to enable the students to apply classroom knowledge in their daily lives in the future. Moreover, they provide a forum to raise the level of thinking skills and critical thinking of the learners, even at a young age, through the production of subject related innovative outputs. It was also realized from this study that learning will not primarily take place in classrooms because the school emphasizes learning in laboratories, activities room, and places outside the classrooms.

DISCUSSIONS

The main advantage of an innovation demonstration school is that it teaches the students to learn by inquiry, experimentation, and evaluation. This leads to the development of a healthy degree of curiosity and more open expression of ideas and solutions to problems that may not only benefit the learner but the school and the community as well.