Data Overview
The Thailand School Readiness Survey (TSRS) is a repeated cross-sectional survey of kindergarten students in Thailand. Assessment tools and questionnaires of the TSRS are based primarily on the Measure of Development and Early Learning (MODEL) under the Measuring Early Learning and Quality and Outcomes (MELQO), which is a collaboration of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), World Bank, Brookings Institution, and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF, 2012). These instruments were designed to be implementable at scale and feasible for low- and middle-income countries. In this survey, direct assessment tools were used to assess mathematics, language, and working memory skills, whereas parent and teacher questionnaires were used to assess children’s social-emotional skills and collect child and household characteristics, such as an indicator of being a child with special needs (henceforth special needs), household wealth index, and caregiver’s education. In addition, TSRS includes information on teachers and schools. In total, this data set covers 43,668 students.
Structure of the Questionnaire
The questionnaire (QN) comprises six main parts: Child Direct Assessment QN, Parent QN, Child Assessment from Teacher QN, Teacher QN, Classroom Observation QN, and School QN.
1. Child Direct Assessment QN is a set of tools to assess child development in person. This set of instruments was adapted from the Measure of Development and Early Learning (MODEL) under the Measuring Early Learning and Quality and Outcomes (MELQO). Every survey round has 13 subdomains: (1) Name Writing (2) Alphabet Knowledge (3) Reading (4) Receptive Spatial Vocabulary (5) Listening Comprehension of Story (6) Copying (7) Mental Transformation (8) Producing A Set (9) Number Comparison (10) Simple Addition (11) Number Identification (12) Forward Digit Span (13) Backward Digit Span. TSRS2021, TSRS2022, and TSRS2023 have added one more subdomain, namely Symbolic Addition.
2. Parent QN asks parent/caregiver to answer two main parts: (1) child development assessed by parent/caregiver, and (2) basic household information, such as household wealth index, caregiver’s education, learning resources at home, migration status of mother and father. This QN was self-filled by the parent/caregiver at home.
3. Child Assessment from Teacher QN asks a homeroom teacher to assess the child development of each student sample. The teacher self-filled this QN at school.
4. Teacher QN asks homeroom teachers to provide their basic information, such as gender, age, teaching experience, highest level of education, and field of study. The teacher self-filled this QN at school.
5. Classroom Observation QN is for an interviewer to record basic classroom activities and teacher behaviors during the visit. This QN was applied to the chosen kindergarten classroom(s) and one of the first-grade classrooms in the school. The main goal of this QN is to capture the transition between kindergarten and grade one of the school.
6. School QN asks the director of the school to provide basic information about the school.
Sampling Framework
The TSRS employed stratified random sampling based on province, district, school size, and classroom. Five districts were selected for each province, except for provinces with less than five districts. The first district was always the Central district (called Amphoe Mueang in Thai). The rest were ranked based on the poverty map index generated by the office of the National Economic and Social Development Board in 2015 and divided into four groups with an equal number of districts whenever possible. We randomly chose one district from each group. Then, for each district, schools were ranked and randomly selected based on school size: four small schools (less than the 64th percentile), two medium schools (more than the 64th percentile but less than the 86th percentile), and one large school. One classroom was randomly chosen for each small and medium school, whereas two were chosen for each large school. Finally, 15 students from each classroom were randomly invited to participate in this study. All the students were included if fewer than 15 were in the classroom. An additional small school was added to the sample until the total number of sampled students in each province was no less than 490. See the diagram below.
Survey Rounds and Sample Size
TSRS is a collaboration between the Equitable Education Fund (EEF) and the Research Institute for Policy Evaluation and Design (RIPED) at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce. The survey covered all provinces in Thailand after 4 phases of implementation as follows (extensively piloted and prepared during 2018-2019). The total sample size from all 4 rounds is 43,668 students.
Phase 1 (TSRS2020) covered 19 provinces including Amnat Charoen, Chachoengsao, Chiang Rai, Khon Kaen, Lampang, Lamphun, Lopburi, Narathiwat, Pathum Thani, Pattani, Phatthalung, Phrae, Roi Et, Samut Sakhon, Satun, Songkhla, Surin, Udon Thani and Yala . This round has 9,526 children.
Phase 2 (TSRS2021) covered 25 provinces including Buriram, Chai Nat, Chaiyaphum, Chiang Mai, Kalasin, Kanchanaburi, Krabi, Mae Hong Son, Mukdahan, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Nan, Nong Bua Lamphu, Nonthaburi, Phang Nga, Phayao, Phetchabun,Phitsanulok, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Phuket, Samut Prakan, Surat Thani, Trang, Ubon Ratchathani and Yasothon. This round has 12,328 children.
Phase 3 (TSRS2022) covered 32 provinces including Ang Thong, Bueng Kan, Chanthaburi, Chonburi, Chumphon, Kamphaeng Phet, Loei, Maha Sarakham, Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Pathom, Nakhon Phanom, Nakhon Sawan, Nong Khai, Phetchaburi, Phichit, Prachin Buri, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Ranong, Ratchaburi, Rayong, Sa Kaeo, Sakon Nakhon, Samut Songkhram, Saraburi, Sing Buri, Sisaket, Sukhothai, Suphan Buri, Tak, Trat, Uttaradit and Uthai Thani. This round has 11,673 children.
Phase 4 (TSRS2023) covered 20 provinces including Amnat Charoen, Bangkok, Chachoengsao, Chiang Rai, Chumphon, Lampang, Nakhon Pathom, Pathum Thani, Phatthalung, Phrae, Ratchaburi, Rayong, Roi Et, Sakon Nakhon, Samut Sakhon, Satun and Pattani, Singburi, Sukhothai and Surin. This round has 10,141 children.
Survey Rounds | Children |
2020 | 9,526 |
2021 | 12,328 |
2022 | 11,673 |
2023 | 10,141 |
Recent Survey Round for Each Province
Provinces with Multiple Survey Rounds
Funding
The survey was supported by the Equitable Education Fund (EEF).
