I would like share my positive experience of studying at the School of Education and Social Work of the University of Dundee as a Ph.D. visiting scholar.
First of all, I would like to say “thank you very much” to Prof. Samia Khan (my co-supervisor) and Prof. Chatree (my supervisor) who have given me this great opportunity and enabled a scholarship for me to visit here.
During my four months in Scotland, I have learnt a lot, both academic knowledge and other experiences outside the classroom. I have been able to join many classroom sessions to observe and learn how the teacher manages the class and how the students learn. This included many interesting seminars that are very useful and meaningful for me because I can learn from the education system in Scotland and adapt it to the classroom in Thailand.
Moreover, I am very grateful that I met so many Ph.D. international friends here. We built a community for sharing knowledge and helping one another. These friendships will remain a wonderful memory for me.
Furthermore, I very feel lucky to have met Prof. Samia Khan here and I’m grateful for the warm welcome she gave me. She taught me so much, supported me with my thesis, and gave me the opportunity to do research for the MII-STEM project.
As part of the MII-STEM project, I assisted with research and data collection related to science education in Scotland. I helped gather information about the Scottish science curriculum for comparison with the other three countries: Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand. I also helped develop some of the MII-STEM lesson plans which focused on how to integrate modelling into STEM teaching. It’s been a very valuable experience for me.
I have learnt many things at this University. I have learnt a lot about the lovely culture of the Scottish people. I was able to improve my English language during my stay. I am appreciative of many things here: the weather, the fairy tale atmosphere, the kind people, and the good education system. These four months have been an unforgettable experience.
Thank you very much for this opportunity to be a Ph.D. visiting scholar at the University of Dundee.
Ms. Vipavadee Khwaengmek
Ph.D. visiting scholar from Kasetsart University, Thailand
