The Needs to Study Bachelor’s Degree at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University

Abstract

The objectives of this research were: 1) to study the demand for bachelor's degree level education at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, and 2) to analyze the issues and problems associated with student recruitment services via the Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University website. The participants in this research were: 1) a total of 661 Individuals who applied to study at Sukhothai Thammathirat University in the 2019 academic year through the university's website from November 15, 2019, to February 16, 2020. 2) two faculty members from each department and two student services staff members participated in the study, bringing the total number of participants to 30. The research instruments included three sets of online, in-depth interviews with individuals who had either not completed the application or who had completed but not paid, and a group discussion recording form for use during meetings with personnel involved in curriculum development and student services. The validity and reliability of the research instruments were verified. Data were analyzed by calculating averages and performing content analysis. The results can be summarized as follows: 1) The demand for studying at the bachelor's degree level at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University was high among all sample groups, particularly those who completed their application but did not make a payment. This was consistent across all aspects, including curriculum overview, distance education, and educational services. Notably, there was a high demand for the implementation of an online examination system and improvements in the website's notification system and 2) The majority of problems encountered with the new student admissions service through the website stem from the complexity of the student admissions system, which was found to be inconvenient for users. For instance, the application process and instructions were too complicated and required excessive student information. The study plan selection was also problematic due to the lack of available information. Restrictions on uploading supporting documents, based on file size, and the inability to make instant payments in the payment system were further issues identified.