Abstract:
The objectives of this research were 1) To examine and propose guidelines for developing research environment of Suan Dusit University and 2) To develop a model and approach for active learning management in social sciences research methodology course. The methodology consisted of documentary research of 5 foreign universities, interviews with 5 domestic universities, in-depth interviews with 49 people involved in research environment development and group discussion with 9 instructors. The research tools were guidelines for documentary compilation, in-depth interview and group discussion. The method of data analysis were content analysis and constant comparison. The results showed that:
1. There were three components of the research environment that must be monitored and developed: policy and management, cooperation network, and provision of environment and learning facilities. The guidelines for the development of research environment of Suan Dusit University that promote research work at the graduate level were: 1.1) The use of electronic thesis system in the management of the whole thesis process 1.2) The use of the online meeting system in thesis consultation 1.3) Preparation of electronic textbook correspond to the field of study 1.4) Verification and management of the use of all online databases to use them effectively 1.5) Building/extending/ developing relationships with networks to share resources 1.6) Developing library personnel competency 1.7) Determining service channels and those responsible for each aspect clearly
2. The development of the model and the approach for active learning in social sciences research methodology course aimed at improving the weakness of traditional teaching methods that focus on theory-based teaching and lack of practicality, discussion, and sharing of experiences. By applying the key principles of active learning approaches, the model was developed with detail in 4 components: 2.1) Principles and concepts of the model 2.2) Objective of the model 2.3) Learning process of the model 2.4) Learning outcomes that students will receive from the model.