From Crisis to Transformation: Lessons Learned and Recommendations for LIS Graduate Programs in Thailand Post-Pandemic

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the management of library and information science (LIS) graduate programs in Thailand during the COVID-19 pandemic and highlights the challenges faced by the programs’ chairs, faculty members, and graduate students during these unsettling times. This study employed a qualitative approach and used semi-structured interview protocols for data collection. A total of fifty-five participants, comprising five LIS graduate program chairs, ten faculty members, and thirty-nine graduate students, actively participated in the study. Content analysis was then utilized to analyze the interview transcripts, and the results were subsequently summarized into several themes. Based on the results, this research proposes that hybrid learning is applicable for the advancement of LIS graduate programs in the post-pandemic era. Additionally, creating more effective online teaching and learning environments and expanding collaborative teaching and learning networks are essential for the success of the programs.

Keywords

• library and information science graduate programs
• library and information science education
• covid-19
• teaching and learning
• thailand