The document summarizes a sustainable laboratory program developed for a secondary school in rural Thailand. The program aims to improve science education by making it more engaging and relevant to students' lives. Four hands-on science activities were created that teach valuable lessons, use locally available materials, and promote active learning. A program manual was developed to guide teachers in delivering the activities. Initial testing found the activities improved students' understanding while being sustainable and fun. Recommendations include translating the manual to Thai and further evaluating the program's long-term success.

1. A Sustainable Laboratory Program for the
Advancement of Secondary Science Education
in Rural Thailand
Sponsored by:
• The Office of H.R.H. Princess
Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s Projects
• Chulalongkhorn University
• Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Nicholas Amendolare
Emily Briskey
Jessica LaGoy
Nathan Largesse
McGhee Orme-Johnson

2. The Poverty Crisis
• 45% of the world’s population below the poverty line
• One strategy for alleviating poverty: improving education
• Impoverished regions often lack resources to improve education
• Sakon Nakhon is an impoverished, agrarian provinces

3. The Kusuman Wittayakhom School
• Follows national science curriculum and uses standardized activities
• Observed activities did not follow the scientific method and made no
direct connections to students lives
• Student apathy, restrictive curriculum, and lack of effective equipment
hinder creative science experiments

4. Goal
To improve science literacy in Northeast Thailand,
through the development of a sustainable, engaging
science laboratory program for secondary schools.

5. Presentation Outline
• What We Did
• Descriptions of
Laboratory Activities
• Results and Evaluation
• Program Manual
• Recommendations

6. What We Did
• Developed four science laboratory
activities
• Conducted on-site research and testing
• Created a program manual that included
descriptions of the four activities and
supplementary materials

7. Activities Should Be…
1. Educationally valuable and relevant to students’ lives
2. Sustainable and replicable
3. Fun and engaging

8. Activity #1: Two Methods of Water Purification
Goal: To teach students about two methods of purifying water and
their effects on three different types of water.

10. Activity #2: Exploring Agriculture
Goal: To demonstrate the effects of fertilizers and pollutants
on the growth of a local plant (mung beans).

12. Activity #3: Storing Food Safely
Goal: To show students how different storage
environments promote bacteria growth, making food
unsafe to eat.

14. Activity #4: Tragedy of
the Commons
Goal: To teach students
environmental responsibility
and sustainability through an
interactive game.

16. Evaluating Educational Value
• In general, activities taught valuable scientific lessons
• Activities were relevant to students’ daily lives
• Activities introduced students to new laboratory
equipment and the scientific method

17. Evaluating Sustainability and Replicability
• Activities fit within two topics in National Curriculum
• All materials bought or made in Sakon Nakhon
• Makes program sustainable and replicable

18. Evaluating Student Engagement
• Activities were hands-on
• Activities used materials that were familiar to students
• Activities were fun!

19. Program Manual
Teacher and Student Worksheets
• Interactive student worksheets for
each experiment
• Comprehensive teacher instructions
for each experiment

20. Program Manual
Supplementary Material
• Description of scientific method
• Microscope instructions and
bacteria information
• Strategies for how to adapt or
create science experiments
• Instruction on obtaining new
scientific information

21. Recommendations: The Next Steps
• Translate manual into Thai
• Distribute manual among schools similar to Kusuman
Wittayakhom School
• Test students and teachers “before and after”
• Experiment with providing different levels of assistance
• Implement a “Peer Tutoring” program with the science
teachers from Kusuman Wittayakhom School

22. Recommendations
Further Research and Development
• Revisit Kusuman Wittayakhom School to
evaluate long-term program success
• Guide teachers to create their own hands-
on activities

23. NORTHEAST THAILAND

24. Acknowledgements
• Sponsor: Office of H.R.H. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s Projects, Bureau of the Royal
Household, Suan Chitralada, Bangkok, Thailand
• The Kusuman District Area 1 Education Office (especially Khun Kolsuwat)
• The Kusuman Wittayakom School Teachers, Staff and Students
• Liaisons
– Khun Nantaporn
Representative of Office of H.R.H. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s Projects
– Khun Aphisit
Assistant Director, Office of H.R.H. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s Projects
– Khun Panarat and Khun Tara
Our Liaisons from the Office of H.R.H. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s Projects
– Assistant Professor M.L. Siripastr Jayanta
Department of Chemistry, Chulalongkorn University
– Associate Professor Supawan Tantayanon
Department of Chemistry, Chulalongkorn University
• WPI Aacaans - Professor Demetry, Professor Robertson, and Professor Vaz