ดุษฎีนิพนธ์ (Dissertation)

Flex model of blended learning development in enhancing EFL students critical reading skills

2026-07-02T08:59:50Z

Flex model of blended learning development in enhancing EFL students critical reading skills Atchara Limpapattarakul Bhornsawan Inpin The objectives of the study were (1) to develop and validate the quality of the Flex model of blended learning in enhancing EFL students’ critical reading skills, (2) to implement and identify the effectiveness of the Flex model of blended learning in enhancing EFL students’ critical reading skills, and (3) to explore the students’ attitudes toward the Flex model of blended learning. The participants of the study were fifty-five second-year English education students who were enrolled in a critical reading course at the Faculty of Education, Chiangrai Rajabhat University, in the first semester of academic year 2025. Data were collected using a mixed-method approach. The research instrument includes a semi-structured interview, a critical reading pre-test and post-test, an in-depth interview, and a student attitudes questionnaire. The instructional instruments include the Flex model of blended learning, lesson plans, and critical reading lessons. Data were analyzed using means, standard deviations, paired t-tests, Cohen’s d effect sizes, and thematic analysis. The research findings revealed that: 1. The consistency of the instructional model components was very high (X̄ = 0.93), and the model components’ descriptions were very appropriate (X̄ = 0.88). 2. The mean score of the critical reading post-test (X̄ =14.55, SD = 3.04) was higher than the pre-test mean score (X̄ = 9.89, SD = 4.91). The difference between the two mean scores was statistically significant at the .05 significance level. Additionally, Cohen’s d effect size indicated a very large effect (d = 1.46). 3. The in-depth interview findings indicated that the students employed five critical reading strategies: previewing, analyzing, questioning, summarizing, and reflecting during the implementation, which demonstrated the development of their critical reading skills. 4. The students expressed positive attitudes toward the Flex model of blended learning mean score of 4.40 (S.D. = 0.46), signifying that students’ attitudes were at the high level. The findings revealed that the students recognized the Flex model of blended learning as the most efficient for enhancing their critical reading skills. Dissertation (Ph.D.) -- English for Professional Development, School of Liberal Arts. Mae Fah Luang University, 2025

Developing a lingua franca core for Burmese speakers of english

2026-06-19T09:34:52Z

Developing a lingua franca core for Burmese speakers of english Pyae Pyae Min Zaw Sirikorn Bamroongkit To achieve successful communication in English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) interactions, pronunciation instruction must prioritize features that enhance speech intelligibility. However, in Myanmar, there is a lack of context-specific resources to guide the teaching and learning of ELF pronunciation. This study therefore aims to establish pronunciation priorities for Burmese speakers of English by developing a localized Lingua Franca Core (LFC) model to improve international intelligibility of Burmese learners of English. Therefore, A comparative analysis was conducted between Jenkins’ (2000) LFC framework and the phonological features of Burmese through systematic document analysis and initial pronunciation features that should be incorporated in the development of the Burmese Lingua Franca Core were first identified. Then, in the second stage of the research, the intelligibility assessment was carried out involving native and non-native English speakers from diverse first-language backgrounds. The findings suggest that, in the ELF context of Burmese speakers, segmental features contribute more substantially to international intelligibility than suprasegmental features. These results highlight the importance of prioritizing segmental aspects in pronunciation instruction for Burmese learners of English and therefore, in accordance with the findings of this study, a Lingua Franca Core modified for the Burmese context has been developed and suggested in the present study. Dissertation (Ph.D.) -- English for Professional Development, School of Liberal Arts. Mae Fah Luang University, 2025

Exploring communication strategies and their effectiveness in business english as a lingua franca in Myanmar economic organization

2026-06-04T03:49:01Z

Exploring communication strategies and their effectiveness in business english as a lingua franca in Myanmar economic organization Yin Min Hla Atima Kaewsa-ard As English increasingly functions as a shared working language in international business and public-sector institutions, understanding how communication is managed beyond linguistic accuracy has become essential. This study investigates communication strategies in Business English as a Lingua Franca (BELF)–mediated workplace interaction within a Myanmar economic organization, focusing on how professionals strategically manage meaning, accountability, hierarchy, and intercultural relations under institutional constraints. Adopting an embedded mixed-methods research design, the study draws on multiple data sources, including semi-structured interviews with 15 officials, a corpus of 74 professional emails, recordings of real-time workplace meetings, and a structured questionnaire. Guided by a conceptual framework that views BELF communication strategies as interactional resources rather than compensatory linguistic tools, the analysis integrates functional content analysis of written communication with conversation analysis of spoken interaction. The findings reveal that BELF communication strategies in this context function as situated interactional practices shaped by institutional roles, procedural accountability, and intercultural sensitivity. In written communication, politeness and indirectness are systematically deployed to establish institutional alignment, assign responsibility, and maintain professional relations without undermining authority. In real-time meetings, strategies such as repetition, reformulation, clarification requests, and multimodal resources emerge sequentially in response to interactional trouble, enabling participants to negotiate understanding and sustain interactional flow in high-stakes decision-making contexts. Rather than compensating for limited proficiency, these strategies reflect a high degree of interactional competence tailored to institutional demands. The study further demonstrates that the effectiveness of BELF communication strategies lies not in fluency or native-like accuracy, but in their capacity to support task accomplishment and intercultural collaboration despite linguistic asymmetries and organizational constraints. Drawing on these findings, the study argues for a reconceptualization of BELF-oriented English for Specific Purposes (ESP) training. It suggests that professional communication training should move beyond language correctness to emphasize interactional awareness, institutional accountability, and strategic meaning-making in real workplace contexts. By examining BELF communication in an underexplored public-sector economic organization in Myanmar, this study contributes to BELF scholarship by extending its empirical and theoretical scope to Global South institutional settings. It advances an interactional understanding of professional communication and provides a principled foundation for context-sensitive ESP training grounded in authentic workplace practices. Dissertation (Ph.D.) -- English for Professional Development, School of Liberal Arts. Mae Fah Luang University, 2025

Developing a context-specific project-based flipped learning (PBFL) model for enhancing english speaking performance of first-year Myanmar university students

2026-05-06T04:25:08Z

Developing a context-specific project-based flipped learning (PBFL) model for enhancing english speaking performance of first-year Myanmar university students Su Lai Mon Phirunkhana Phichiensathien This study aimed to develop and examine the effectiveness of a context-specific Project-Based Flipped Learning (PBFL) model for enhancing the English speaking performance of first-year Myanmar university students at a private university in Myanmar. The model was designed by integrating principles of flipped learning and project-based learning to address contextual challenges identified through needs analysis, including teacher-centered instruction, limited opportunities for communicative practice, exam-oriented teaching approaches, and underutilization of instructional technology. A mixed-methods research design was employed. The participants consisted of 40 first-year Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) students enrolled in the English for Communication I course, selected through purposive sampling. Quantitative data were collected using pre-test and post-test speaking assessments adapted from an IELTS-format speaking test, comprising three components: Interview, Long Turn, and Discussion. Speaking performances were evaluated using an analytic scoring rubric measuring fluency and coherence, grammatical accuracy, pronunciation, lexical resource, and interaction. Two trained raters independently assessed the performances, and inter-rater reliability was established prior to analysis. Qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews with one English instructor and ten students representing different proficiency levels. The PBFL model and research instruments were validated by three experts using the Index of Item-Objective Congruence (IOC), with values ranging from 0.67 to 1.00 following revision. The intervention was implemented over a ten-week period. Paired-samples t-test analysis revealed statistically significant improvement in overall speaking performance (p < .05). The mean total speaking score increased from 13.85 (SD = 0.63) in the pre-test to 19.52 (SD = 0.57) in the post-test. Improvements were observed across all assessed components, with large effect sizes (Cohen’s d ranging from 1.81 to 2.03). Qualitative findings indicated that students reported increased confidence, reduced speaking anxiety, and greater participation in classroom communication activities. The instructor also perceived the model as feasible within existing institutional constraints. The findings suggest that the context-specific PBFL model may be useful in enhancing English speaking performance among Myanmar university students in private higher education settings. Dissertation (Ph.D.) -- English for Professional Development, School of Liberal Arts. Mae Fah Luang University, 2025