Management Innovation for Thai Language and Culture Program of International Schools in Thailand Based on Concept of Agile Learner Characteristics

The research aimed to develop an innovation for the Thai language and culture program management based on the concept of agile learner characteristics in Thailand. The study used the multiphase mixed-method approach which was conducted among 97 international schools in Thailand. The research findings revealed that management innovation for Thai language and culture program of international schools in Thailand based on the concept of agile learner characteristics which was titled “SWABK”. It consisted of three main components that promoting agile learner characteristics of seeking challenging situations, being a cognitive thinker, knowing what to do when facing uncertain situations, and welcoming feedback and criticism : (1) curriculum development: identifying learning outcomes that align with the need of Thai and global society and designing learning units by integrating Thai language and culture into global situations, (2) instruction: constructing learning tools and materials to be accessible anytime and anywhere, and (3) evaluation: utilizing the curriculum evaluation’s result to further develop learners to be ready for the future.


Thai Language and Culture Program for International Schools in Thailand
The rise of the number of Thai national students attending international schools in Thailand has ignited the question on the effectiveness of the Thai language and culture program has to offer the nation's future leaders. According to the International Schools Association of Thailand, there were 52,000 students in the academic year 2016 growing from 29,747 students in the academic year 2009 (Somboon, 2017). As claimed in Bangkok Patana School's website, the school has a diverse student population of over 65 nationalities with 20% Thai nationality (B. P. . While ISB, International School Bangkok claims 22% of Thai national students among 60 countries in the school year of -17 (Bangkok, 2016. NIST has approximately 25.3% of Thai national students among 60 nationalities (N. I. . Thai students in international schools are from well economic status indicated by the range of tuition fee starting from 250,000 to one million baht per year (Admin, 2019). These students will most likely become future leaders in social, economic, and political sectors.
It is undeniable that we are living in a world of rapid change. Technology has become a main part of our lives that provides us with conveniences in many ways, but it can become a major threat to us as evidenced by the rise of Artificial Intelligence. The academic contents that schools teach students today might not be useful for them to use at work or to live life within the future. The vision of the Thai language and culture program for international schools documented by the Office of the Private Education Commission (OPEC) states that the subject of Thai language, culture and history is aimed to develop student's skills to communicate in Thai at their fullest potential. Thai national students are the vital manpower to the nation's future, they are to be good, capable ,and happy citizens living lives according to Thai tradition and culture, and adhering to the democracy of the constitutional monarchy (OPEC, 2016). This clearly shows that communication is one of the top leadership skills that leaders should have. A leader must be an effective communicator at all forms (Doyle, 2019). Hattori states that a leader must satisfy three needs of others; communication, connection, and understanding (Hattori, 2015) (p. 63).
Mr. Schleicher, the OECD Director for Education and Skills states that schools can equip students with knowledge, skills, attitudes and values they need to thrive and shape their world (Howells, 2018). In Britain, APPG or All-Party Parliamentary Group for Education held a meeting in May 2017 to discuss "How Well do Schools Prepare Children for their Future?" They see the importance of young people today to be equipped with skills that allow them to be adaptable to changing circumstances. Though basic literacy and numeracy skills are still essential for their success in employment, soft skills, character and resilience are vital skills that are lacking in young people claimed by most employers (Kinahan, 2017). The Mitchell Institute for Education and Health Policy at Victoria University, Australia identifies four possible solutions that education can prepare students to be ready in the future. One of them is to enhance student's capabilities of both streams which are academic knowledge, and the mindsets or characteristics needed to navigate a changing society and economy (Torii & O'Connell, 2017).
What schools need to do to craft future leaders in supporting Thailand's Vision 2037 that indicates Thailand to become "a developed country with security, prosperity and sustainability in accordance with the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy" (Board, 2018). Thailand Education National Plan has adopted the National Strategy indicating that Thai citizens in 2037 are to have the capability to develop the country collaboratively, enable to adapt to the context of future development, be mentally and physically prepared and equipped with analytical and life-long learning skills, be immune to change, be culturally conscious mind and Thai identity, be responsible, be a solid foundation to community, society, and love the country and the monarchy (Education, 2017). Therefore, international schools in Thailand which house these future leaders of the nation bear an important role to provide students with the knowledge and skills needed in the future. These Thai students are surrounded by the international environment, they are and will be growing up in the future of internationality. Therefore, it is vital that the school's Thai language and culture program needs to prepare students to be ready to encounter and handle any future rapid changes in order to live life successfully in both international and Thai contexts.
Teaching and learning Thai in international schools have been a challenge to both teachers and students due to multi-proficiency levels in each class. Most international schools use English as the medium of instruction. The Ministry of Education (MoE, 2007) requires all international schools in Thailand to provide and teach the Thai language and culture class to Thai national students one period of 50 minutes a day and the minimum of five days per week. Thai national students have opportunities to expose to structured Thai literacy for only about 12% of their day, let alone schools that are unable to comply with this requirement. As the result, the majority of Thai national students in international schools show limited abilities in their reading and writing skills. The Thai curriculum used in international schools proves the proclaimed statement. The Thai language, culture and history curriculum revised in 2015 by the Office of the Private Education Commission indicates lower learning expectations compared to the National Thai curriculum used in Thai schools. This could lead to the difficulty in reaching the objectives of the Thai language and culture program mentioned previously.
Many international schools design their own curriculum and self-create the learning materials and textbooks to best serve their student's Thai proficiency. The nature of the student body in Thai classes in international schools is the combination of multi proficiency levels. There are students who begin their early year in international schools, they find learning Thai is too hard, and become demotivated to learn Thai. Also, students who later on decide to transfer from Thai to international schools, they find Thai class is too easy and not challenging enough to keep them engaged. They gradually lose their Thai skills due to being inactive during class. This poses a challenge on instructions and a threat to Thailand's future leaders. Having low Thai language skills and Thai cultural understanding mean that Thai students in international schools are lacking one of the most important skills that leaders must have which is the communication.

Agile Leaner Characteristics
In search of preparation for Thai national students in international schools to be ready for a changing world and to motivate them to fully engage in learning Thai have led the focus towards the concept of agile learner characteristics. What is an agile learner? How might it solve mentioned problems? The Cambridge Dictionary defines agile as being able to think quickly and clearly. The Oxford Dictionary defines agile as being able to think and understand quickly. According to Spurgin, agile learners are ready for change and new learning, they are able to use what they know with new knowledge in new situations (Spurgin, 2016). As quoted in Galagan's article, Korn Ferry which is a leading global leadership, people and organizational advisory firm define "highly agile leaners as those who learn from past experiences and then apply what they learned to new situations, continually acquire new skills. Face new challenges, and perform well under changing conditions and ambiguity" (Galagan, 2015). Agile learners are proactive and always on the lookout to learn. They are engaged and inspired by the learning process. Their interpersonal skill is high and being used effectively. When coming across with any difficulties or problems, agile learners are not afraid to speak up or speak to as many people to gather as much information needed to accumulate all possibilities to solve the problem. They are comfortable being out of their comfort zone and enjoy being in the learning zone where in which sustains their success in the world of rapid changes. As cited in Valcour's article (Valcour, 2015), David Peterson, director of executive coaching and leadership at Google says, "Staying within your comfort zone is a good way to prepare for today, but it's a terrible way to prepare for tomorrow". Agile learners understand that they are capable of changing themselves, behaving intelligently, engaging more effectively in virtuous practice, and successfully addressing difficult problems (Anderson, 2017).
The Thai language and culture program management that emphasizes on instilling agile learner characteristics in today's students would enhance the level of motivation in learning Thai and also prepare students to become quality Thai citizen who live lives successfully in global and Thai context.

Results
The analysis result is presented in narrative along with tables describing frequency distribution, percentage, means, standard deviation (S.D.) and PNI modified index. The content analysis was used on the qualitative study. The results of data analysis are presented as follows.
3.1 The conceptual framework for the Thai language and culture program management, agile learner characteristics, and innovation development   The Table 2  The need analysis indicates that the curriculum development is needed to be further developed with the highest PNI modified = 0.249. The second highest is the instruction with the PNI modified = 0.245, and the evaluation comes in last with the PNI modified = 0.230. In the element of curriculum development shows that identifying learning outcomes aligning with the need of Thai and global society of characteristics in psychomotor domain is needed to be further developed with the highest PNI modified = 0.249. Furthermore, designing learning units by integrating Thai language and culture into global situation of characteristics in cognitive domain is also needed ass.ccsenet.org Vol. 17, No. 4 2021 to be further developed with the same highest PNI modified = 0.249. Identifying learning standard basing on proficiency shows the lowest PNI modified = 0.247.
In the element of instruction shows that constructing learning tools and materials to be accessible anytime and anywhere with the characteristics in the cognitive and the affective domains are needed to be further developed with the same highest PNI modified = 0.265. The characteristics in the psychomotor domain shows the lowest PNI modified = 0.258. In the element of evaluation shows the highest PNI modified = 0.242 on utilizing the curriculum evaluation's result to further develop learners to be ready for the future with the characteristics in the cognitive domain (PNI modified = 0.253) that is needed to be further developed.

Management innovation for the Thai language and culture program of international schools in Thailand based on the concept of agile learner characteristics (The process of management innovation development, Phase 2: Discover ideas to formulate innovation, Phase 3: Develop innovation, and Phase 4: Demonstrate feasibility)
This research is conducted under the process of management innovation development phase 1 which is to define needs for innovation by studying current and desirable states of the Thai language and culture program management based on the concept of agile learner characteristics. Then the need analysis is conducted to define needs which are brought into phase 2 to discover ideas to formulate innovation. Literature reviews, content analysis of feedbacks from open-ended questions, and best practices are studied and later to formulate the first draft of the innovation. The focus-group of nine experts and stakeholders is conducted to obtain suggestions and to move along to phase 3 which is to develop innovation. The first draft of innovation is adjusted according to the expert and stakeholder's inputs and resulted in the second draft of innovation. The second draft of the innovation is to evaluate its suitability and possibility by 15 stakeholders or innovation users individually. Literature and researches of best practices in the area of new way for curriculum development had been conducted and found the following. Project-based curriculum is a student-centered pedagogy that students acquire a deeper knowledge through active exploration of real-world challenges and problems. Curriculum is interdisciplinary. Thai subject is integrated to global context. Curriculum promotes characteristics of seeking challenging situations, being a cognitive thinker and knowing what to do when facing uncertain situations. Curriculum promotes problem finding to enhance intellectual and imaginative vision.

Instruction
From the analysis of current and desirable states of Thai language and culture program for international schools in Thailand based on the concept of agile learner characteristics found the highest need in instruction as followed.
Constructing learning tools and materials to be accessible anytime and anywhere with the characteristics of seeking challenging situation, being a cognitive thinker and knowing what to do when facing uncertain situations.
Literature and researches of best practices in the area of new way for instruction had been conducted and found the following. 1.Learners have opportunities to interact with what they are learning or content, with peers or classmates, with teacher, and with community to practice cognitive thinking skills, collaborative skills, and taking or giving criticisms via project-based learning. 2.Learning is personalized to meet individual interests and needs. Instruction is designed to support learner's voice and choice. 3. Technology enables personalized pathways for student learning through active and collaborative ass.ccsenet.org Asian Social Science Vol. 17, No. 4 2021 learning activities. Technology offers anywhere, anytime learning opportunities. Technology provides pathway for learner's interaction with content, peers, teachers, and community.

Evaluation
From the analysis of current and desirable states of Thai language and culture program for international schools in Thailand based on the concept of agile learner characteristics found the highest need in instruction as followed.
Utilizing the curriculum evaluation's result to further develop learner to be ready for the future with characteristics of seeking challenging situation, being a cognitive thinker and knowing what to do when facing uncertain situations.
Literature and researches of best practices in the area of new way for curriculum evaluation had been conducted and found the following. 1.Build in future ready skill outcomes in formative and summative assessments and encourage more performance-based or contributing assessments. 2. Assessment is data-driven decision making that impacts, informs, and improves learning in real time. In the essence of SBK Curriculum Development is that the curriculum is current to local and global issues, combined Thai and other subjects together, challenging to enhance intellectual, collaboratively oriented, and content creation oriented. The practices are to identify learning outcomes that align with the need of Thai and global society which promotes the characteristics of seeking challenging situations, being a cognitive thinker, and knowing what to do when facing uncertain situations, and to design learning units by integrating Thai language and culture into global situations and promoting the characteristics of seeking challenging situations, being a cognitive thinker, and knowing what to do when facing uncertain situations.
In the essence of SBK Instruction is that the instruction provides opportunities for students to interact with peers, content, community, and teacher, and engage in learning activities before, during, and after the face to face class or 24/7 through Scrum framework. The practice is to constructing learning tools and materials to be accessible

SBK Curriculum Development
Seeking challenging situations

Being a cognitive thinker
Knowing what to do when facing uncertain situations ass.ccsenet.org Asian Social Science Vol. 17, No. 4 2021 anytime and anywhere with the characteristics of seeking challenging situation, being a cognitive thinker, and knowing what to do when facing uncertain situations.
In the essence of SBK Evaluation is that the evaluation inspects future-ready pathways for students. The practice is to utilize the curriculum evaluation's result to further develop learners to be ready for the future with characteristics of seeking challenging situations, being a cognitive thinker, and knowing what to do when facing uncertain situations. The result presented in Table 5 revealed that the majority of the experts and stakeholders agreed with the feasibility and suitability of the 1 st draft of the innovation. Additional comments were recorded for further adjustment and resulted in the 2 nd draft of the innovation titled "SWABK". The characteristic in the affective domain of welcoming feedback and criticism with the highest PNI modified was added so that characteristics from all three learning domains were covered. There was the rearrangement of each characteristic's abbreviation in order to make the innovation title easy to call and remember. "A" standing for agile learner has been added so that the innovation title can be pronounced as a word. SWABK aims to develop three elements which are the curriculum development, the instruction, and the evaluation that enable international schools to develop its management that leads to promoting the future-ready characteristics among students as follows. S = Seeking challenging situations: Students are courageous to stepping out of their comfort zone to explore and try new experiences which lead to constantly new learning.
W= Welcoming feedback and criticism: Students practice giving constructive criticism and critically listen to other's criticism to refine their work, their ways of learning and practices to achieve their set goals.

A= Agile Learner
B= Being a cognitive thinker: Students are able to think critically, connect and apply what they have already known to new knowledge to benefit their current work.
K= Knowing what to do when facing uncertain situations: Students calmly figure out ways to overcome hurdles and obstacles to finally accomplish their goals.

Discussion
"SWABK" the management innovation of the Thai language and culture program developed from this research study is suitable to promote expected characteristics: seeking challenging situations, being a cognitive thinker, welcoming feedback and criticism, and knowing what to do when facing uncertain situations.

4.1
The curriculum development with SWABK innovation would craft a curriculum that is flexible and adjustable to change, current to local and global society, relevant to students, interdisciplinary, collaborative, and promoting the expected characteristics: seeking challenging situations, welcoming feedback and criticism, being a cognitive thinker, and knowing what to do when facing uncertain situations. Schools must transform curriculum for the 21 st century in order to have an impact on the wellbeing and fulfillment of today's students and future generations. According to the International Bureau of Education (IBE) document, the curriculum needs to be reconceptualized as follows (Marope, Griffin, & Gallagher, 2017).
1. The first operational tool for ensuring the sustained development relevance of education and learning systems 2. A catalyst for innovation, disruption, and social transformation 3. A force for social equity, justice, cohesion, stability, and peace 4. An integrative core of education systems 5. An enabler of lifelong learning 6. A determinant of the quality of education and learning 7. A determinant of key cost drivers of education and learning system 8. A lifelong learning system in its own right SWABK innovation flows along with the future competencies mentioned in IBE document; lifelong learning, self-agency, interactively using diverse tools and resources, interacting with others, interacting with the world, multi-literateness, and trans-disciplinary (Marope & et al., 2017). Lifelong learners seek new knowledge, explore the unknown and challenging situations, they basically know how to learn. Self-agency is a drive to empower you to figure out the unknown situations and lead to success and fulfilled life. Trans-disciplinary curriculum requires cognitive thinking to integrate knowledge from various disciplines into a new application. Learning should no longer be isolated by subjects.
4.2 The instruction with SWABK innovation would design learning units that provide interactions between ass.ccsenet.org Vol. 17, No. 4 2021 students and content, peers, teacher, or community anytime anywhere. The instruction should be sensitive to the differences of each student of individual strengths and needs and provide interaction that is prompt and responsive. Variety of learning activities and embedded technology are clearly witnessed. With today's technology, teaching and learning can happen anytime anywhere, the learning can begin even before students enter the classroom. Providing real-time feedback can easily happen. When it comes time to assign work, differentiation can be handled at ease.

4.3
The evaluation with SWABK innovation would provide various types of assessments to serve different learning needs which contain three phases of assessment: for, as, of learning. Schools have been practicing the assessment of knowledge for as long as we could remember. This ineffective assessment must be reformed nimbly because it obstructs cognitive thinking. Assessment needs to inform the learning and should involve students during planning the success criteria and even selecting assessment tasks. Student's self-, or peer assessment during the learning process to improve learning should be conducted. Finally, assessment of learning to showcase performance as a product or result of the learning should be evidenced. All three phases of assessment evolve expected characteristics; seeking challenging situations, welcoming feedback, and criticism, being a cognitive thinker, and knowing what to do when facing uncertain situations.

Conclusion
The rapid change of the world today has created a question whether what schools teach students today, it would still be useful for students to live successful lives in the future. Also, the rise of international schools in Thailand has generated another question on the effectiveness of the Thai language and culture program in international schools that would definitely affect the lives of Thailand's future leaders. Students who study in international schools are from well to do family judging by the tuition fee. Therefore, it is fair to say they will become our future leaders in economic, political or society. Thai language and culture program has an important role to pave the way for stability for our students in the future, and to serve as a tool to instill characteristics needed to live life successfully in the future. Agile learner characteristics are believed to shape and prepare our students to be ready for the future.
The research findings show that the process of curriculum development needs to identify learning outcomes that align with the need of Thai and global society promoting characteristic of seeking challenging situations, and to design learning units by integrating Thai language and culture into global situations promoting characteristic of being goal-oriented. What students learn is essential to determine how students learn. Thai teachers in international schools need to include not only Thai but global context when developing curriculum. The curriculum needs to be current and relevant to students. Schools that still use Thai subject textbooks as used in Thai school need to urgently consider revising the curriculum. It is not mandatory for international schools to use the text as used in Thai schools as long as schools develop its Thai curriculum following within the OPEC's Thai language and culture curriculum standards. It might seem justified to use the same textbooks as used in Thai subject in Thai schools, Thai national students in international schools could be Thai literate just like Thai students in Thai schools. We could only wish for this thinking to work. Thai class in international schools need to integrate other subjects into it as well. For instance, when learning Thai history, other country's history can be learned by comparing or contrasting and debating good or bad lesson learned from each nation's history. Schools that already use their own developed curriculum should revisit whether it is current to Thai and global society and relevant to students. Performance rubric to assess expected characteristics should be created. Based on the research finding, identifying learning standard basing on proficiency level is currently being handled in the satisfactory level. Stage not age is the key word here. International schools value the differences among students and believe that each and every student is unique in his/her own way. One size does not fit all. With suitable learning activity, students would progress accordingly on his/her proficiency level.
The research findings show that teachers need to construct learning tools and materials to be accessible anytime and anywhere promoting characteristics of being goal-oriented and welcoming feedback and criticism. Learning is unnecessary happening only in the physical classroom with students physically in front of a teacher. Technology can be utilized as a learning and teaching tool that students can interact with the learning at their own pace beyond the classroom setting. Now a day, there are many technological platforms and apps that teachers can use as asynchronous lessons for students to revisit after the physical class for better understand the learned concept or pre-study before coming to the physical class with questions or some background knowledge to further explore collaboratively in the class. The used platform should be interactive that students can either post responses, ideas or ask questions, and generate interactions not only between teacher to students but students to students which provides the opportunity to practice on both feedback giving and receiving. Students should also practice being goal oriented to manage their learning effectively. The autonomy of their learning ass.ccsenet.org Asian Social Science Vol. 17, No. 4 2021 needs to be structured by students in order to reach expected learning goals. Based on the research findings, the following areas are currently being handled in the satisfactory level; identifying learning objectives aligning with learning outcomes, constructing learning activities connecting to the community and engaging learners at each proficiency level, and identifying assessment evidence suitably to each learner differences. These practices align with the best practice under the curriculum development that student's different learning needs are highly valued. Also learning activity connecting to community is commonly witnessed in international schools. Students annually engage in at least one project related to the community such as fundraising for orphanages, for smile operation, or for book donation to local Thai schools. Students learn to be caring citizens of the community they live in.