K.I.Asia NewsBytes
Partnering for Sustainable Development:  April 2007 (#95)

K.I.Asia helps launch an innovative program to improve the teaching of science in Thailand.

Feature Story
Inquiry is a systematic investigation process that great philosophers, such as Aristotle, and prominent scientists, such as Thomas Edison, used in their search for wisdom or inventions. Without the discoveries resulting from systematic inquiry, scientific and social progress would falter. All too often, however, the teaching of science in schools overlooks the inquiry process in the effort to have students learn “facts” that can be used to score well on examinations. The failure to include the inquiry process in teaching affects the ability of citizens in any nation to apply disciplined, rational thinking to their personal lives and to their country’s science and technology initiatives. Therefore, it is critical for Thailand to develop improved science teaching based on the inquiry process in order to help individual students and the nation cope with rapid change and the demands of global competition. 

The Problem
According to the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), Thailand was 27th in the 2006 world competitive rankings. However, the nation’s science and technology capabilities were placed much lower — at 53rd out of 61 countries. Thailand spent only 0.25% of its GDP on science and technology initiatives compared to about 2% of GDP in more developed countries. Thai educators, scientists, businessmen and political leaders are increasingly recognizing that Thailand has not adequately invested in scientific research and personnel. 

The IN-STEP Program
To respond to this challenge and help build science and technology capabilities in Thailand, MSD Thailand donated US$500,000 to implement the Inquiry Based Science and Technology Education Program (IN-STEP) in the tsunami-affected province of Phang-nga. IN-STEP, managed by the Kenan Institute Asia, is the first program of its kind that MSD has supported outside of the United States. With support from the Merck Institute for Science Education (MISE), an institute founded by Merck & Co., Inc. in 1993, IN-STEP aims to improve student performance in science through inquiry-based learning. The experience of the Merck Institute has shown that this type of learning promotes children’s curiosity and enthusiasm for science.
Phang-nga was chosen for the first phase of the program as part of K.I.Asia’s program to help long-term development in the Thai province hardest-hit by the 2004 tsunami. A better understanding of science is necessary not only to help the province avoid or mitigate future natural disasters, but also to improve the conduct of farming and fishing and to preserve the natural environment critical to a sustainable tourism industr