A SWOT Analysis of Early Childhood Educational Institutions in Thailand: Insights for Chinese Immigrant Families
Main Article Content
Abstract
This study employs a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) framework to evaluate the adaptability of Thailand’s early childhood education (ECE) institutions in addressing the needs of Chinese immigrant families. Using mixed-methods research, including surveys of 278 families and qualitative interviews, the analysis identifies systemic strengths, such as bilingual programs and cultural inclusivity, alongside critical weaknesses, such as inconsistent educational quality and socioeconomic disparities. Opportunities for improvement include policy reforms and technology integration, while threats center on cultural misalignment and limited parental engagement. The findings advocate for culturally responsive curricula, enhanced teacher training, and equitable funding models to foster inclusive learning environments. This research contributes to global discussions on immigrant education by highlighting the intersection of cultural adaptation, language acquisition, and institutional policy in Thailand’s ECE landscape.
Article Details
How to Cite
LIU, Danni; ARIFANI, Yudhi.
A SWOT Analysis of Early Childhood Educational Institutions in Thailand: Insights for Chinese Immigrant Families.
Proceeding of International Conference on Islamic Education (ICIED), [S.l.], v. 10, n. 1, p. 460-467, dec. 2025.
ISSN 2613-9804.
Available at: <https://conferences.uin-malang.ac.id/index.php/icied/article/view/3625>. Date accessed: 03 feb. 2026.
doi: https://doi.org/10.18860/icied.v10i1.3625.
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Articles
References
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Bialystok, E. (2011). Coordination of executive functions in monolingual and bilingual children. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 110(3), 461–468. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2011.05.005
Britto, P. R., Yoshikawa, H., & Boller, K. (2011). Quality of early childhood development programs in global contexts: Rationale for investment, conceptual framework, and implications for equity. Social Policy Report, 25(2), 1–31. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2379-3988.2011.tb00067.x
Chao, R. K. (1996). Chinese and European American mothers’ beliefs about the role of parenting in children’s school success. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 27(4), 403–423. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022196274002
Chen, L. (2022). Classroom dynamics in multicultural settings: A case study of Chinese children in Thai schools. Journal of Early Childhood Education, 45(3), 245–260. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2021.1914243
Cummins, J. (2000). Language, power, and pedagogy: Bilingual children in the crossfire. Multilingual Matters.
Gürel, E., & Tat, M. (2017). SWOT Analysis: A theoretical review. Journal of International Social Research, 10(51), 994–1006. https://doi.org/10.17719/jisr.2017.1832
Helms, M. M., & Nixon, J. (2010). Exploring SWOT analysis—where are we now? A review of academic research from the last decade. Journal of Strategy and Management, 3(3), 215–251. https://doi.org/10.1108/17554251011064837
Jiemin, L. (2017). The Chinese in Thailand: Historical and contemporary perspectives. Journal of Asian Studies, 76(3), 589–614. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021911817000290
Li, D., & Wang, L. (2021). Challenges and coping strategies of Chinese immigrant parents in international education settings. Journal of International Education Research, 16(4), 123–135. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2021.1914243
Longhurst, G. J., Stone, D. M., Dulohery, K., Scully, D., Campbell, T., & Smith, C. F. (2020). Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats (SWOT) analysis of the adaptations to anatomical education in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Anatomical Sciences Education, 13(3), 301–311. https://doi.org/10.1002/ase.1967
Nayaka, V. U., Oo, K. K., & Than, Y. W. (2025). Buddhist Universities in Myanmar: Bridging the Gap to International Education Standards. Journal of Social Innovation and Knowledge, 1(aop), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1163/29502683-bja00009
OECD. (2018). Education in Thailand: An OECD-UNESCO perspective. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264281318-en
Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC). (2017). Early childhood education in Thailand. OBEC Press.
Thomas, S., Chie, Q. T., Abraham, M., Jalarajan Raj, S., & Beh, L. S. (2014). A qualitative review of literature on peer review of teaching in higher education: An application of the SWOT framework. Review of Educational Research, 84(1), 112–159. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654313499617
UNESCO. (2019). Inclusive early childhood care and education: A global review. UNESCO.
UNESCO. (2020). The role of early childhood education in promoting sustainable development. UNESCO Publishing.
Wong, M., & Lee, K. (2021). Parental involvement and educational outcomes among immigrant children: A cross-cultural analysis. Educational Review, 73(1), 67–81. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2020.1757448
Zhao, Y. (2014). Who’s afraid of the big, bad dragon? Why China has the best (and worst) education system in the world. Jossey-Bass.