Causes, Factors, Perspectives and Approaches for Quality Development of Lower Secondary Learners under of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC) in Pattani Province Affected by Social and Economic Status in the Epidemic Conditions of Coronavirus Infection in 2019 (COVID-19)

Abstract

This research examines causal factors which determine the learning quality of junior secondary students under OBEC in Pattani who have been affected socially and economically during the Coronavirus-19 pandemic in Pattani province. It also studies opinions and approaches for the student body’s quality development. There were two stages in this research. Stage one involved allocating causal factors which determined learning quality of students during the pandemic period. Informants were 12 people, chosen by purposive sampling, comprising school directors, student advisors, parents, and students. Stage two involved collecting opinions and approaches for the student body’s quality development. Five informants, purposely chosen, were school executives, chiefs of government agencies, and educational officials. Semi-structured interviews were employed in both stages; the data were scrutinized by means of content analysis.

The findings reveal, in the light of the causal factors, that, for Family Socio-economic Status (SES)at a family level, parents were in poverty, not being able to provide their children with sufficient devices for online learning, whilst many others not having access to the Internet from their homes, including a lack of time to accompany their children during online classes at home due to their working hours. For SES at a school level, there were no effective means and skilled teaching staff members for online classroom management. For SES at a community level, there was common objection on COVID-19 vaccination, and there was no safety in life and properties. In light of people’s perspectives and ways to quality development in the student body, free access to the Internet and necessary learning facilities should be given to students by the state, communities, and schools. Lesson clips should be ready at all times for recurrent reviews by students. Parents and the community should catch up with their children about their studies on a daily basis. Compensation should be, by the state, allotted to students in need. Most importantly, teaching staff members should be trained to acquire communication skills and abilities to work effectively in the online environment.