Title: Educational management and the extent of Thai undergraduates' learning and performance behaviour: an international view

Authors: Ravee Phoewhawm

Addresses: Innovative Business Management Department, International College, Chiang Mai Rajabhat University, 202 Changpuak Road, Tambol Changpuak, Amphur Muang, Chiang Mai 50300, Thailand

Abstract: Students are the future of the nation's knowledge-based economy. Therefore, educational managers in Thailand can help raise the country's global economic status by taking a closer look at the extent of the undergraduates' learning and performance behaviour so that an assessment can be made to improve the procedure. This study applied the achievement goal theory in the form of a questionnaire distributed to undergraduate students. The work sought to examine the students' level of learning and performance behaviour in the area of mastery approach and mastery avoidance, and in performance approach and performance avoidance. The results demonstrated that the learning and performance of most Thai undergraduates for the first part tend to be instilled with the mentality of preventing mistakes and failures from occurring, while for the second part they are not vigorously concentrated on outperforming their peers or on displaying their abilities. Educational managers must consider the mental aspects of students in order to help them achieve more.

Keywords: failure avoidance; student behaviour; mental aspects; culture; higher education; globalisation; student learning; mastery; educational management; Thailand; undergraduate performance; achievement goal theory.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMIE.2017.080652

International Journal of Management in Education, 2017 Vol.11 No.1, pp.59 - 76

Received: 22 Jan 2016
Accepted: 22 Mar 2016

Published online: 01 Dec 2016 *

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