Saturday 4:45 - 5:35 PM
Magnolia A
Innovations in English Textbooks for Young Learners in Thailand

The objective of this presentation is to analyze and identify the educational innovations featured in the textbook series "On the Springboard", developed by the Thai Ministry of Education for teaching English in primary schools.  These innovations will be actualizations, as well as the on-going teacher development encouraged by the textbooks.

The presenter will show the way in which learners are encouraged by textbooks and problem-solving strategies, and how they are given opportunities to learn by doing, in order to develop to their fullest potential.  Next, how the textbooks challenge traditional assumptions of teachers' roles, in favor of a more democratic approach in the classroom will be discussed.  With these two innovations, this series of textbooks will effect changes not only in the classroom but also in the Thai educational system.