Abstract

The research titled “The State of Knowledge in Social Studies Research in Thailand: Past and Future Trends” aims to investigate historical foundations, assess current status, and synthesize the body of knowledge to determine future directions for social studies research. The scope of the study covers the period from 1960 to 2024. A qualitative research methodology was employed, utilizing documentary research and content analysis of data retrieved from the Thai Digital Collection (TDC).

The findings reveal that the development of Thai social studies research has been shaped by the "politics of knowledge production," which can be categorized into three distinct phases: 1) The 1960–1981 period: Knowledge production was centralized, focusing on national security ideologies and anti-communism within the context of the Cold War, with survey research serving as the primary methodology. 2) The 1982–2005 period: This era witnessed a decentralization of knowledge production to regional levels, aligning with globalization and the 1999 Education Reform. The focus shifted toward instructional innovation and Research and Development (R&D). 3) The 2006–2024 period: Amidst democratic regression and a resurgence of conservatism, research topics predominantly adopted the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy and state-sanctioned ideal citizenship as core themes, with R&D emerging as the most dominant methodology.

The state of knowledge in Thai social studies tethered to the concepts of the ruling power. To transcend these limitations, future trends and directions should increase the proportion of qualitative and interdisciplinary research. Furthermore, research should be integrated with decentralization efforts to establish an ecosystem that promotes academic freedom, thereby truly responding to the diverse needs of society.

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