Teacher in a Box: Satellite Television and the Evolution of Distance Learning in Thailand, 1995-2024

Abstract

This dissertation examines the nearly three-decade evolution of Distance Learning Television (DLTV) in Thailand's education system, challenging conventional narratives of technological adoption and obsolescence. Through mixed-methods research combining archival analysis, oral histories interview, and field observations, I investigate how Thailand transformed imported satellite technology into a distinctly Thai educational tool that persisted through changing technological landscapes and revitalized during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on Science and Technology Studies frameworks including technology-in-use, user agency and technological reinterpretation during crisis, I analyze DLTV as a complex system shaped by Thai cultural values and changing social needs. The study reveals how the Distance Learning Foundation strategically coordinated expertise to sustain the project (Chapter 2) and balance standardization and localization education (Chapter 3), how Thai cultural values shaped broadcasting classroom design (Chapter 4), and how rural teachers exercised agency by adapting the technology to local needs (Chapter 5). The reemergence of DLTV during the pandemic demonstrates how supposedly outdated technologies can provide crucial resilience during crises (Chapter 6). This case study of a non-inventing nation's educational technology contributes to broader discussions about technological adaptation, showing how users in non-Western contexts actively shape and reimagine imported technologies through practices that reflect local cultural values, educational priorities, and societal structures. The findings have significant implications for policy making and budget allocation in technological development, challenging conventional approaches that prioritize constant adoption of new technologies at the expense of optimizing existing ones. Instead, this research demonstrates the value of investing in systems that enable meaningful adaptation of existing technologies to local contexts, suggesting that sustainable innovation in resource-constrained environments may depend more on enabling local reimagination of existing technologies than on continuous adoption of new ones.