LANGUAGE STRATEGIES AND IDEOLOGY IN THE VISIONS OF DEMONSTRATION SCHOOL IN MINISTRY OF HIGHER EDUCATION, SCIENCE, RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

Abstract

Critical discourse analysis is an approach to studying the relationships between language texts, discourse, and ideology. This article investigates the linguistic strategies used to convey ideologies presented in the vision statements of demonstration schools under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation Thailand. The research adopted a qualitative approach, employing the framework of critical discourse analysis to provide an in-depth understanding. Data were collected from the vision statements of 106 demonstration schools, published on their official websites, spanning the period from 2022 to 2024 and analyzed through interpretative summary analysis.

The findings revealed that the linguistic strategies employed in the vision statements of demonstration schools can be categorized into two primary strategies: vocabulary and references. In terms of discourse practice, it was found that school administrators play a crucial role in driving the production and dissemination of the vision statements, which were subsequently passed on to teachers, staff, students, and parents through public communication channels. These linguistic strategies convey five key ideologies: the ideology of being a leading school, the ideology of being an innovative school that fosters innovators, the ideology of being a school focused on research and the development of learning management, the ideology of developing desirable traits in students, and the ideology of being a learning institution that contributes to teacher professional development. In terms of socio-cultural practices, it was found that educational reform, societal expectations for being good citizens and global citizens, the application of the King’s philosophy, the status as a demonstration school under Rajabhat University, and the framework for 21^st century learning have influenced the production of vision texts. Analyzing the vision statements of demonstration schools revealed the hidden ideologies underlying language use.