A Study on Improving the Professional Ethics Program for Graduate Students: Focusing on an International University in Thailand

Abstract

A Study on Improving the Professional Ethics Program for Graduate Students: Focusing on an International University in Thailand

Chongyan Zhang,* Injae Lee,** & Gyunyeol Park***

Abstract: Barriers to engage in class for graduate students are a general research problem in educational studies, since adult learners need more attractive substances in their learning process; moreover, professional ethics, as a curriculum in graduate program in educational studies, it was also encountering problems on student engagement in class, since it was a complex issue for graduate students; because of that, the researcher would like to conduct four research objectives; there were findings as: (1) from the first objective, by statistics, the researcher found graduate students were acceptable level of class attention, but they were general level of class engagement and lack of passions to participate in questions and answers in the class; (2) from the research objective two, by quantitative and qualitative content analysis, the researcher found two common problems that block to satisficed student engagement for graduate students in the program: 1) students have no clear ideas on ethical values and behaviors, and 2) students would not believe ethics in professions; (3) from the research objective three, the researcher found three categories of class activities might assist to improve student engagement for graduate students in the program at the university in Thailand: 1) case study in particular topics, 2) individual speech, and 3) reflective discourse; (4) from the research objective four, the researcher confirmed the three types of activities were significantly positive affect to class engagement for graduate students in the educational program in the university; then, the researcher provided managerial suggestions to instructors and program administrators; these suggestions might helpfully improve student engagement in the professional ethics in the program in the international university.

Key Words: Action Research, Student Engagement, Class Engagement, Graduate Students, Curriculum of Professional Ethics

□ Received: Oct. 19, 2024, Revised: Oct. 28, 2024, Accepted: Oct. 28, 2024 ＊ First Author, Graduate School, Stamford International Univ., Thailand ** Co-author, Seoul National Univ. of Education, Korea *** Corresponding Author, Gyeongsang National Univ., Korea, Email: pgy556@dau