Mapping essential competencies: Informing curriculum development for public health education in Thailand

Songkhamchai Leethongdissakul, Wilawun Chada, Kannikar Hannah Tatiyaworawattanakul, Niruwan Turnbull

Article ID: 5522
Vol 8, Issue 7, 2024

VIEWS - 144 (Abstract) 82 (PDF)

Abstract


The competencies of public health professionals serve as the cornerstone for curriculum development ensuring that educational programs are pertinent efficient and attuned to the requirements of both the public health workforce and the communities they serve. This study endeavors to investigate the knowledge competency of public health professionals in Thailand with the intention of refining the suitability of knowledge competency for curriculum development tailored to the needs of public health professionals in Thailand. Employing a qualitative study, the study conducted semi-structured interviews with 17 university lecturers in public health programs in Northeastern Thailand. The data collected were transcribed and analyzed using content analysis. The findings elucidate that the lecturers articulated a core knowledge content pertinent to public health professionals in Thailand delineated across five principal themes and thirteen subjects within the public health curriculum. These themes encompassed: 1) Epidemiology and disease prevention (comprising two subjects), 2) Health promotion and community health (comprising four subjects), 3) Research methods in public health and biostatistics (comprising two subjects), 4) Public health administration, health system, and laws (comprising three subjects), and 5) Environmental health and occupational health and safety (comprising two subjects). Subsequently, this study scrutinized five core courses to formulate a model curriculum for public health. The proposed model curriculum is intended for application in both planning and the development of the public health workforce, fostering interdisciplinary learning and nurturing public health professionals rooted in the authentic context of Thailand.


Keywords


education; competency; public health; professional; curriculum; public health curriculum

Full Text:

PDF


References


Bangdiwala, S. I., Tucker, J. D., Zodpey, S., et al. (2011). Public Health Education in India and China: History, Opportunities, and Challenges. Public Health Reviews, 33(1), 204–224. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf03391628

Buakam, T., Tipwong, R., Boonyayothin, W., et al. (2015). Draft standard framework for community health: A training and action research project for community health professional preparedness. Bangkok: Art-Qualified Co.ltd.

Chouhan, V. S., Srivastava, S. (2014). Understanding Competencies and Competency Modeling A Literature Survey. IOSR J Bus Manag, 16(1), 14–22.

Council of Community-Public Health Thailand. (2019). Thailand Qualification Framework: Public Health Curriculum (draft). Bangkok.

Karunathilake, I. M., & Liyanage, C. K. (2014). Accreditation of Public Health Education in the Asia-Pacific Region. Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health, 27(1), 38–44. https://doi.org/10.1177/1010539514562024

Koh, H. K., & Jacobson, M. (2009). Fostering public health leadership. Journal of Public Health, 31(2), 199–201. https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdp032

McClelland, D. C. (1973). Testing for competence rather than for “intelligence.” American Psychologist, 28(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0034092

Ministry of Public Health Thailand. (2017). Health at a glance Thailand 2017. Available online: https://spd.moph.go.th/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/health-at-a-glance-thailand-2017.pdf (accessed on 18 December 2019).

Mulder, M. (2014). Conceptions of Professional Competence. In: Billett, S., Harteis, C. (editors). Handbook of Research in Professional and Practice Based Learning (Springer International Handbooks of Education). Dordrecht: Springer.

Paccaud, F., Weihofen, A., & Nocera, S. (2011). Public Health Education in Europe: Old and New Challenges. Public Health Reviews, 33(1), 66–86. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf03391621

Patrick, W. K. (2012). Voluntarism and Shared Leadership in APACPH: A Decade of Development. Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health, 24(1), 208–214.

Rosenstock, L., Helsing, K., & Rimer, B. K. (2011). Public Health Education in the United States: Then and Now. Public Health Reviews, 33(1), 39–65. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf03391620

The Council Community Public Health Thailand. (2019). The draft of Thailand Qualifications Framework of Bachelor of Public Health in Thailand 2019. Available online: https://www.ccph.or.th/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/1.-%E0%B8%A3%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%A1%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%AD1.pdf (accessed on 30 April 2020).

The Professional Act of Public Health in Thailand 2013, Royal Thai Government Gazette. 130(118a). (2013). Available online: https://www.ocs.go.th/e5f6d752-cdeb-487c-88c0-1883a7aee24b (accessed on 25 December 2019).

Vazirani, N. (2010). Competencies and competency model-A brief overview of its development and application. SIES Journal of management, 7(1), 121–131.

World Health Organization. (2005). The Bangkok Charter for Health Promotion in a Globalized World. Available online: https://www.who.int/teams/health-promotion/enhanced-wellbeing/sixth-global-conference/the-bangkok-charter (accessed on 17 March 2020).

Zhang, Y., & Wildemuth, B. M. (2009). Qualitative analysis of content. Applications of social research methods to questions in information and library science, 308(319), 1–12.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.24294/jipd.v8i7.5522

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2024 Songkhamchai Leethongdissakul, Wilawun Chada, Kannikar Hannah Tatiyaworawattanakul, Niruwan Turnbull

License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.