Enhancing 21st Century Skills Through Technology-Enhanced Economics Teaching Materials: A Quantitative Analysis of Academic Achievement and Student Engagement in Mahasarakham Province, Thailand
Keywords:
21st century skills, economics education, technology-enhanced learning, academic achievement, student engagement, Thailand, quantitative researchAbstract
Background: The integration of 21st century skills in secondary education has become crucial for preparing students for modern economic challenges. In Thailand's northeast region, particularly Mahasarakham Province, there is a growing need for innovative teaching materials that combine traditional economics education with contemporary digital literacy and critical thinking skills.
Purpose: This study aimed to develop and evaluate technology-enhanced teaching materials aligned with 21st century skills for high school economics education, measuring their impact on academic achievement, student engagement, and satisfaction levels among Grade 11 students in Mahasarakham Province.
Methods: A quantitative research design employing a one-group pretest-posttest experimental approach was conducted with 240 Grade 11 students from six secondary schools in Mahasarakham Province. Data collection utilized standardized achievement tests, digital engagement metrics, and satisfaction surveys. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, paired t-tests, and effect size calculations using Cohen's d.
Results: Results demonstrated significant improvements in academic achievement (pretest M = 54.8, SD = 12.3; posttest M = 81.4, SD = 9.7; t(239) = -28.45, p < .001, d = 2.41). The 80/80 efficiency criterion was achieved by 87.5% of participants. Student engagement scores increased substantially (pre-intervention M = 3.2, SD = 0.8; post-intervention M = 4.6, SD = 0.5; t(239) = -22.67, p < .001), with satisfaction ratings averaging 4.7/5.0 across all dimensions.
Conclusions: Technology-enhanced teaching materials significantly improved both academic outcomes and student engagement in economics education. The integration of digital tools, interactive simulations, and problem-based learning activities effectively developed 21st century skills while maintaining strong subject matter comprehension. These findings support the scalability of such approaches across Thailand's secondary education system.
References
Agarwal, R., & Day, A. E. (1998). The impact of the internet on economic education. Journal of Economic Education, 29(2), 99-110. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220489809595939
Agarwal, R., Ganco, M., & Ziedonis, R. H. (2019). Reputations for toughness in patent enforcement: Implications for knowledge spillovers via inventor mobility. Strategic Management Journal, 30(13), 1349-1374. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.2038
Becker, W. E., & Watts, M. (2001). Teaching economics at the start of the 21st century: Still chalk-and-talk. American Economic Review, 91(2), 446-451. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.91.2.446
Binkley, M., Erstad, O., Herman, J., Raizen, S., Ripley, M., Miller-Ricci, M., & Rumble, M. (2012). Defining twenty-first century skills. In P. Griffin, B. McGaw, & E. Care (Eds.), Assessment and teaching of 21st century skills (pp. 17-66). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2324-5_2
Campbell, D. T., & Stanley, J. C. (1963). Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for research. Rand McNally.
Chiang, E. P., Beck, J. N., & Lonning, N. M. (2014). Student perceptions of using personal response systems ("clickers") with iPads in economics classes. Computers & Education, 78, 235-243. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2014.06.010
Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2016). E-learning and the science of instruction: Proven guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning (4th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.
Davies, P., & Pearse, E. (2000). Success in English teaching in economics: Some student perceptions. Economics, 36(2), 69-78. https://doi.org/10.1080/00130470050025527
Dede, C. (2010). Comparing frameworks for 21st century skills. In J. Bellanca & R. Brandt (Eds.), 21st century skills: Rethinking how students learn (pp. 51-76). Solution Tree Press.
Deng, R., Benckendorff, P., & Gannaway, D. (2020). Linking learner factors, teaching context, and engagement patterns with MOOC learning outcomes. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 36(5), 688-708. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12437
Emerson, T. L., & Taylor, B. A. (2004). Comparing student achievement across experimental and lecture-oriented sections of a principles of microeconomics course. Southern Economic Journal, 70(3), 672-693. https://doi.org/10.2307/4135334
Facione, P. A. (2020). Critical thinking: What it is and why it counts. Measured Reasons and The California Academic Press.
Fredricks, J. A., Blumenfeld, P. C., & Paris, A. H. (2004). School engagement: Potential of the concept, state of the evidence. Review of Educational Research, 74(1), 59-109. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543074001059
Fry, G. W. (2018). Education in Thailand: An old elephant in search of a new mahout. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-7857-6
Fry, G. W., & Bi, H. (2013). The evolution of educational reform in Thailand: The Thai educational paradox. Journal of Educational Administration, 51(3), 290-319. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578231311311483
Geisinger, K. F. (2016). 21st century skills: What are they and how do we assess them? Applied Measurement in Education, 29(4), 245-249. https://doi.org/10.1080/08957347.2016.1209207
Goffe, W. L., & Kauper, D. (2014). A survey of principles instructors: Why lecture prevails. Journal of Economic Education, 45(4), 360-375. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220485.2014.946547
Gremmen, H., & Potters, J. (1997). Assessing the efficacy of gaming in economic education. Journal of Economic Education, 28(4), 291-303. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220489709597939
Griffin, P., McGaw, B., & Care, E. (Eds.). (2012). Assessment and teaching of 21st century skills. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2324-5
Hallinger, P., & Bryant, D. A. (2013). Mapping the terrain of educational leadership and management in East Asia. Journal of Educational Administration, 51(5), 618-637. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEA-05-2013-0058
Hallinger, P., Gümüş, S., & Bellibaş, M. Ş. (2019). Are principals instructional leaders yet? A science map of the knowledge base on instructional leadership, 1940–2018. Scientometrics, 122(3), 1629-1650. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-020-03360-5
Hattie, J. (2012). Visible learning for teachers: Maximizing impact on learning. Routledge.
Henrie, C. R., Halverson, L. R., & Graham, C. R. (2015). Measuring student engagement in technology-mediated learning: A review. Computers & Education, 90, 36-53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2015.09.005
Hodges, C., Moore, S., Lockee, B., Trust, T., & Bond, A. (2020). The difference between emergency remote teaching and online learning. Educause Review, 55(3), 27-32.
Hofstede, G., & Bond, M. H. (1988). The Confucius connection: From cultural roots to economic growth. Organizational Dynamics, 16(4), 5-21. https://doi.org/10.1016/0090-2616(88)90009-5
Holt, C. A. (1999). Teaching economics with classroom experiments: A symposium. Southern Economic Journal, 65(3), 603-610. https://doi.org/10.2307/1060722
Jonassen, D., Howland, J., Marra, R. M., & Crismond, D. (2003). Meaningful learning with technology (2nd ed.). Merrill Prentice Hall.
Kahu, E. R. (2013). Framing student engagement in higher education. Studies in Higher Education, 38(5), 758-773. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2011.598505
Kanjanawasee, S. (2019). Educational measurement and evaluation in the digital age. Chulalongkorn University Press. [In Thai]
Kearsley, G., & Shneiderman, B. (1998). Engagement theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning. Educational Technology, 38(5), 20-23.
Khamdi, W., Srisuwan, A., & Pongpisit, L. (2018). Economic development and educational challenges in northeast Thailand. Asian Journal of Social Sciences, 46(3), 287-305. https://doi.org/10.1163/15685314-04603004
Koehler, M. J., & Mishra, P. (2009). What is technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK)? Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 9(1), 60-70.
Koehler, M. J., Mishra, P., Kereluik, K., Shin, T. S., & Graham, C. R. (2013). The technological pedagogical content knowledge framework. In J. M. Spector, M. D. Merrill, J. Elen, & M. J. Bishop (Eds.), Handbook of research on educational communications and technology (pp. 101-111). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3185-5_9
Kuh, G. D. (2009). The national survey of student engagement: Conceptual and empirical foundations. New Directions for Institutional Research, 2009(141), 5-20. https://doi.org/10.1002/ir.283
Lei, H., Cui, Y., & Zhou, W. (2018). Relationships between student engagement and academic achievement: A meta-analysis. Social Behavior and Personality, 46(3), 517-528. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.7054
Lopus, J. S., Amidon, J., & Whitehead, D. (2019). Economics courses and students' knowledge and attitudes. Social Studies Research and Practice, 14(2), 142-154. https://doi.org/10.1108/SSRP-03-2019-0023
Mayer, R. E. (2021). Multimedia learning (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Ministry of Education Thailand. (2017). Basic education core curriculum 2008 (Revised 2017). The Agricultural Cooperative Federation of Thailand.
National Statistical Office Thailand. (2021). Regional economic accounts of Thailand 2019-2020. NSO Publications.
Office of the Education Council. (2017). National education plan 2017-2036. Prikwan Graphic.
Panich, V. (2012). Learning in the 21st century. Sodsri-Saritwong Foundation. [In Thai]
Poapongsakorn, N. (2012). Rural transformation and economic development in Thailand. In H. P. Binswanger-Mkhize, C. Bourguignon, & R. van den Brink (Eds.), Agricultural land redistribution: Toward greater consensus (pp. 295-321). World Bank.
Reich, J., & Mehta, J. D. (2020). Failure to disrupt: Why technology alone can't transform education. Harvard University Press.
Robinson, L., Cotten, S. R., Ono, H., Quan-Haase, A., Mesch, G., Chen, W., ... & Stern, M. J. (2015). Digital inequalities and why they matter. Information, Communication & Society, 18(5), 569-582. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2015.1012532
Rotherham, A. J., & Willingham, D. (2009). 21st century skills: The challenges ahead. Educational Leadership, 67(1), 16-21.
Saavedra, A. R., & Opfer, V. D. (2012). Learning 21st-century skills requires 21st-century teaching. Phi Delta Kappan, 94(2), 8-13. https://doi.org/10.1177/003172171209400203
Shadish, W. R., Cook, T. D., & Campbell, D. T. (2002). Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for generalized causal inference. Houghton Mifflin.
Sosin, K., Blecha, B. J., Agarwal, R., Bartlett, R. L., & Daniel, J. I. (2004). Efficiency in the use of technology in economic education: Some preliminary results. American Economic Review, 94(2), 253-258. https://doi.org/10.1257/0002828041301623
Srisa-an, W. (2018). Cultural dimensions and educational reform in Thai secondary schools. International Journal of Educational Development, 62, 199-209. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2018.04.005
Suart, R. C., & Carrion, C. A. (2017). Students' engagement with 21st century skills in chemistry education. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 18(3), 532-545. https://doi.org/10.1039/C7RP00094D
Sung, Y. T., Chang, K. E., & Liu, T. C. (2016). The effects of integrating mobile devices with teaching and learning on students' learning performance: A meta-analysis and research synthesis. Computers & Education, 94, 252-275. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2015.11.008
Tondeur, J., van Braak, J., Ertmer, P. A., & Ottenbreit-Leftwich, A. (2017). Understanding the relationship between teachers' pedagogical beliefs and technology use in education: A systematic review of qualitative evidence. Educational Technology Research and Development, 65(3), 555-575. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-016-9481-2
Trilling, B., & Fadel, C. (2009). 21st century skills: Learning for life in our times. Jossey-Bass.
UNESCO. (2020). COVID-19 educational disruption and response. UNESCO Publishing.
UNESCO Bangkok. (2019). Education for sustainable development in Thailand: Progress and challenges. UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau.
Voogt, J., & Roblin, N. P. (2012). A comparative analysis of international frameworks for 21st century competences: Implications for national curriculum policies. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 44(3), 299-321. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220272.2012.668938
Wang, T. (2012). Understanding the memorable messages first-generation college students receive from on-campus mentors. Communication Education, 61(4), 335-357. https://doi.org/10.1080/03634523.2012.691978
Warr, P. (2011). Thailand's development strategy and growth performance. In J. Felipe (Ed.), Development and modern industrial policy in practice (pp. 290-332). Edward Elgar.
Watts, M., & Schaur, G. (2011). Teaching and assessment methods in undergraduate economics: A fourth national quinquennial survey. Journal of Economic Education, 42(3), 294-309. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220485.2011.581952
Yamarik, S. (2007). Does cooperative learning improve student learning outcomes? Journal of Economic Education, 38(3), 259-277. https://doi.org/10.3200/JECE.38.3.259-277
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Author(s)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
