Management Styles of Special Education Schools Comparison between China and Thailand

The objectives of this study were to study the current management style of special education schools in China and Thailand, to study the differences in the management of special education schools between China and Thailand, to provide advice for the management of special education schools in two countries. The research used an interview to collect quality data from 30 managers who manage Chinese special education schools and Thai special education schools. Content analysis was used to analyze the data. Special education schools in China and Thailand have similar school culture management, similar administration management structure and function, similar teacher management and similar parents education management. However, there are some differences in the management of teaching instruction management, teaching material management, student management, and teaching equipment management. Compared to Chinese special education schools with Thai special education schools, the advantage of Chinese special education schools is that they can create specialized teaching material suitable for children with mental retardation. It is better to meet students’ actual needs, is more specialized and targeted, and meets the needs of students' development. The advantage of Thai special education schools is that they can provide pre-school education in all schools for children with special needs, provide critical early intervention in the early childhood of special children.


Research Background
The earliest Chinese special education schools traced back to the Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasty. According to the research of Lu Dexiang and Fusen Xinzhao in 1996, there was a public school for the disabled in the Zhou Dynasty, which originated from the blind musicians, and allowed disabled people to receive specialized vocational skills education and training, train blind and physically disabled people become useful people. After the Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties, the long feudal society made the development of special education extremely slow or even stagnant. The special education in the true sense of modern China began in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Ming Dynasty. This special education was first brought in by foreign churches. Then some enlightened people in China intervened and opened some special halls for special children's education. Before 1949, there were 42 blind schools in China, with 2,380 students. At that time, the enrollment rate of children with disabilities was very low, and it was almost limited to the education of children with blind or deaf. Since 1979, Beijing has established a special education class for children with mental retardation. In 1983, the first batch of schools for mentally handicapped children in China began. In 1985, to improve the enrollment rate of children with disabilities, many areas adopted the form of building special education classes in ordinary schools, which later evolved into the form of Learning in a Regular Classroom (LRC) (Deng and Zhu, 2007).
In 1939, Genevieve Caulfield was the first person to educate children with visual impairments in Thailand, teaching them to live like ordinary people (Sukbunpant et al., 2004). Genevieve Caulfield with her friends established the School for the Blind and the Foundation for the Blind under the support of the Queen. Therefore, this period is considered to be the official appearance of special education in Thailand. Since then, special education has gradually developed. In 1941, the Ministry of Education established special schools for children with mental retardation, visual impairment, hearing impairment, physical handicapped and health impairment in the capital city of Bangkok (Kritzer, 2012). The first public special education school was established in 1951 as Sommanus Temple School to provide services for children with hearing impairment (Amatayakul et al., 1995). Besides, not only in Bangkok but also in each region of Thailand owns a special school. It was not until 1962 that children with visual impairment first entered regular classes, while children with hearing impairment entered the regular classes in 1984. Since then, news of special children's learning in regular classes has been widely publicized, and encouraged to learn as much as possible in normal schools with healthy children. Thus, in 1995, at least one public school in each of the 75 provinces received and educated these children (She and Liu, 2018).

Statement of the Problems
There are many problems in the current management of Chinese needs education schools that need to be resolved, such as lacking professional teachers, insufficient teaching equipment, etc.
Thailand special education schools need to improve their management quality, such as teacher training, student management, etc.
There is not any research comparing the management of special education schools between China and Thailand yet, which is not conducive to the exchange and development of special education between the two countries.

Research Objectives
There are many problems in the current management of Chinese needs education schools that need to be resolved, such as lacking professional teachers, insufficient teaching equipment, etc.
Thailand special education schools need to improve their management quality, such as teacher training, student management, etc.
There is not any research comparing the management of special education schools between China and Thailand yet, which is not conducive to the exchange and development of special education between the two countries.

Research Questions
What the current management styles of special education schools in China and Thailand?
What are the similarities and differences between China and Thailand in the management of special education school?
Are there any management styles that China and Thailand should learn from each other?

Research Significance
This study is a comparative study of the management styles of special education schools in China and Thailand. At present, no such articles have been published in the academic area. Therefore, this study has a certain degree of academic innovation and can make up for academic gaps in this area.
It is helpful to improve the management of special education schools in China. By comparing with Thailand, which is also an Asian country, China can learn their strengths and excellent management experience of special education schools in Thailand to provide advice for the management of special education schools in China. By comparing with China's effective management methods of special education school, it can improve the Thailand management level. And contribute to improving the attention of the international community in caring for special education.

Research on School Culture Applied in Chinese and Thai Special Education Schools
Luo (2017) mentioned that the school culture of special education schools includes material school culture and spiritual school culture. The material school culture includes the construction of natural landscape and the construction of the human landscape. The school culture of Thailand is full of Buddhists, and the Buddhist culture runs through the entire school. Besides, the teaching atmosphere of Thailand special education schools, teachers' teaching styles, teacher attitudes, etc. will also be influenced by Buddhist culture (Deng, 2018).

Research on Administration Management Applied in Chinese and Thai Special Education Schools
Most schools in China are the principals' responsibility system. Scientific and effective administrative management regulates the behavior of school administrators, teachers, and students, solve practical problems arising in the teaching process, and ensure education and defect compensation for children with special needs (Li, 2010). Ariratana et al., (2014) wrote that the administrative management of two special education schools in northeastern Thailand focused on participation, and continuous management based on student-centered. Their student-centered management method puts students into the community to learn and allows students to participate in social activities and community activities. It is an exercise for students' ability to adapt to life.

Research on Teaching Instruction Management Applied in Chinese and Thai Special Education Schools
Gan (2018) conducted a study on a special school for the deaf in Yantai City, Shandong Province, and found that the teaching objectives set by the teachers in this school cannot reflect the educational philosophy of educating people, ignoring the development of the potential of deaf students. The teacher's teaching method is single, and the teaching method has caused the learning difficulties of deaf students. Taiwan scholar Hou (2010) mentioned the teaching methods of some Thailand special education teachers, they adopt the inclusive education method, especially the education of autistic students. The school has more than 7,000 students, and more than 80 autistic students are placed in the kindergarten to high school.

Research on Teaching Material Management Applied in Chinese and Thai Special Education Schools
Most of the curriculum standards of Chinese blind schools and deaf schools are adjusted according to the standards of ordinary schools (Sheng, 2015). School for Mental retardation Compulsory Education Life Curriculum Standards (2016 edition) given a clear answer on how teachers in mental retardation school should go to class. Warmset (2008) wrote in his paper that Thailand teachers provide support of children with autism in the class with materials, visual supports, use evidence-based teaching strategies, etc.

Research on Teacher Management Applied in Chinese and Thai Special Education Schools
Chinese special education schools have formed a relatively reasonable team of special education teachers. The structure of full-time special education teachers tends to be reasonable, the structure of special education teachers and the structure of professional titles tend to be reasonable, etc. (Peng, 2013). Ariratana et al., (2014) said the management of employees in the two special education schools in northeast Thailand is that staff development focused on workshop and field trips in the work office of Alternative Education. Teachers in special education schools need to meet the following requirements. Teachers cannot refuse to educate any child with special needs and should actively receive good special education training to better serve children with special needs, etc. (Healey, 2005).

Research on Student Management Applied in Chinese and Thai Special Education School
In China, student management in special education schools is providing nine-year compulsory education for children with special needs and in different regions have different management methods. In Thailand, the school is required to implement a personalized education program for each child, with a plan and a goal to allow students to study at school. Most of the student management of Thai special education schools are written to develop IEP for children, provide teaching services for students, etc. (Kritzer, 2014).

Research on Teaching Equipment Management Applied in Chinese and Thai Special Education Schools
In China, special education schools usually establish a social support system. Due to the obstacles of special children, higher requirements are placed on the life and education places of the school. The infrastructure of the school should be safe, comfortable and hygienic to adapt to the physical and mental characteristics of special children. Therefore, the cost of upgrading and repairing facilities in special education schools in China is higher than that of ordinary schools (Liu et al., 2015). In Thailand, a school for blind in Chonburi province provides that students in their school learning read and write use specialist equipment and adapted learning materials to access information in Braille (2018), it mentions the provision of special teaching equipment for students with visual impairment and blind students.

Research on Parent Education Management Applied in Chinese and Thai Special Education Schools
The main way for Chinese special education schools to establish contact with parents is through home-school cooperation. Teachers can communicate with the parents of the students. Parents can also participate in the education diagnosis, evaluation, and education program development (Meechalard, 2003). Bernard (2011) mentioned in the article that parents must agree in writing to allow his/her child to be tested before the Thai special education school assessment team begins the assessment. Allow children to be assessed and do not allow schools to publicly evaluate reports. Parents can view all information about their children and can interpret the test results by qualified personnel in the language they know best.

Population and Sample Size
The target population of this study is all managers who are currently managing the Chinese special schools and all managers who manage Thai special education schools. Nowadays, more than 2,100 Chinese special education schools and more than 47 Thai special education schools.
In this study, the samples are 30 managers of special education schools whereas 15 managers from China and 15 managers from Thailand. The study selected different special education schools that come from different provinces in China, and the selected special education school distributed in different provinces of Thailand. In addition to the screening of the regions, the researcher also screened for the schools' departments and the level of running schools to try to meet the same level of schools in both countries and avoid disparities. The specific schools are detailed in Table 1. The participating managers will be referred to as P1, P2, P3...P30 as their code, and the order of any school in the whole study is in no particular order. Each code corresponds to the manager of a special education school.

Interview Design
An in-depth interview was used to conduct the primary data from key informants which are the relevant managers of special education schools, some questions about school culture, administration management, teaching instruction management, teaching material management, teacher management, student management, teaching equipment management, parents education management. There are eight questions prepared for them as follows. How is the school's teaching materials arranged and managed? Q5 What is the method for your teachers management? Q6 What is the way for your school to manage your students? Q7 What is the management measures of your school for the teaching equipment of the school? Q8 What is the management of parents education?

Reliability and Validity
To enhance the reliability within this research, after the English interview content was developed, the researcher checked the content once again before interviewing to interviewers who have had experiences in the field of special education both China and Thailand. Useful feedback was given back by advisers and classmates, not only in terms of content but also other issues such as the length of some questions and time management when interviewing in reality. Then a modification of some statements on the interview guide and rearrangement of some details of the interview plan was taken place to ensure a smooth process and appropriate time management during each interview according to suggestions received from those advisers before piloting the final version of the interview questions. During the whole interview, the researcher applied interview standards to uphold the reliability of the research and kept an open mind no matter what kind of data would be brought up from the participants, to maintain the quality and standard within the interview (Basit, 2010;Cohen et al.,2007) The interview questions were examined by five experts, including three Thai experts and two Chinese experts in a field of special education. The Item-Objective Congruence (IOC) was used to evaluate the items of the questionnaire based on the score range form -1 to +1. The items that had scored lower than 0.5 ware revised. The items that had scores higher than or equal to 0.5 were reserved. The result of the IOC is that the items had scored over 0.6, so it has high validity.

Data Analysis
The data from the in-depth interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. Classify the interviewers' original words according to the thematic, and compare the different interview contents of the same item in different schools in different countries.

School Culture Management of Special Education School in China and Thailand
Q1: What is the school culture of your school?
All managers of Chinese special education schools (15/15) revealed that special education schools focus on students' development and happiness, respect for students' differences, caring for students, teaching students' philosophy of life and moral education, realizing students' self-worth, and cultivating students to become useful people in society.
All managers of Thai special education schools (15/15) said that they focus on training students to become ethical people and knowledge people, paying attention to the development of students' potential, training students to master life skills and professional skills, making students become useful to the society, let students live a happy life.

Administration Management of Special Education School in China and Thailand
Q2: What is the administrative level structure of your school?
Majority managers of Chinese special education schools (10/15) said that the administrative departments were the administrative department, the teaching affairs department, the general affairs department and the vocational education department.
However, some managers ( 5/15) said that they have one more administration department--special education center, which was responsible for school-based teacher training, mainstreaming guidance, IT center, regional special education service All managers of Thai special education schools (15/15) revealed that the administration departments were the administrative department, the academic management department, the general affairs department, the human resource management department, the financial management department and the student affairs management department.

Q3: For teachers' teaching instruction, what management measures do you have?
All managers of Chinese special education schools (15/15) said that the teachers had roughly two teaching instructions, one was the instruction of teaching students' knowledge, including teaching students following students aptitude and their demand, education and rehabilitation, medical and educational integration, IEP, advanced technology to support the classroom, sending education to the home, student social internship, etc. The other was the instruction of educating students' morality, respecting students' differences, treating students equally, loving students, paying attention to students' mental health and letting students be included in society.
All managers of Thai special education school (15/15) said the most common teaching instruction were respecting for student differences, teaching students' morality, closing guidance based primarily on the needs and abilities of children at each age and they are individualized, develop IEP, student-centered model, using technical support, social practice, etc.

Teaching Material Management of Special Education School in China and Thailand
Q4: How is the school's teaching materials arranged and managed?
All managers of Chinese schools for blind and deaf (10/10) said that the teaching materials were the same as those of the students who normally received compulsory education. They were all following the requirements of the Ministry of Education and unified the management of teaching materials. Compared with ordinary schools, the textbooks for blind students had three more courses than the sound students, Braille, direction identification and orientation walking, self-care. Deaf students had added two courses, listening to language training, sign language courses.
All managers of Chinese schools for mental retardation (5/5) said that they had own teaching materials, which were different from ordinary school. According to Compulsory Education Curriculum Standards for Peizhi School (2016 Edition), the textbook included life language, life math, life adaptation, labor skills, singing and rhythm, painting and crafts, sports and health care, and social practice and school-based curriculum. The school-based curriculum was based on the collective teaching style, which integrated music therapy, picture book reading and calligraphy therapy into the class teaching.
All managers of Thailand schools for blind (5/5), schools for deaf (5/5) and schools for mental retardation (5/5) said that the schools educate the students following the national curriculum, set by the Ministry of Education, there were Thai language discipline, Mathematics, Science Discipline, Foreign Language Discipline, Social Studies Discipline, Academic Career and Technology Discipline, Art Discipline, Health and Sports Discipline. However, students in schools for blind must learn to read and write using the Braille and they also learn to use a white cane. Students in schools for blind must learn the Sign Language.

Teacher Management of Special Education School in China and Thailand
Q5: What is the method for your teacher management?
All managers of Chinese special education schools (15/15) said that they had the largest number of teachers with college degrees and bachelor degrees, and the number of master degrees and above was very small. The management of teachers was divided into three parts. Teacher training, teacher evaluation system and teaching competition activities.
All managers of Thai special education schools (15/15) said that teachers were mostly graduated with college degrees and bachelor degrees. The teacher management method was divided into three parts. Teacher training, teacher evaluation system and teaching competition activities.

Student Management of Special Education School in China and Thailand
Q6: What is the way for your school to manage your students?
All managers of Chinese special education schools (15/15) said that they provided primary education, junior high school education, senior high school education and vocational education for children with special needs. In the school, teachers conducted daily academic management, basic life skills management, ideological and moral management, IEP development, rehabilitation training.
However, some managers of Chinese special education schools (8/15) said that they provided pre-school education, primary education, junior high school education, senior high school education and vocational education for special students.
All managers of Thai special education schools (15/15) said that they provided a complete special education school system from kindergarten, primary school, junior high school, senior high school/vocational education for special students. In the school, teachers conducted daily academic management, basic life skills management, ideological and moral management, and IEP development. The management of rehabilitation training was integrated into the course.

Teaching Equipment Management of Special Education School in China and Thailand
Q7: What is the management measures of your school for the teaching equipment of the school?
A majority of Chinese managers of special education schools (9/15) said that they had a construction area of almost 6,000-10,000 square meters. There were teaching buildings, training buildings, libraries, playgrounds, canteens, comprehensive buildings, internship buildings, etc. The three types of special education schools had different educational objects, so some functional classrooms had different natures, there are multi-functional language rooms, visual function training rooms, rehabilitation facility rooms, student computer rooms, etc.
However, some managers (6/15) said that they were difficult to expand because of the school's location in the city center, so the area was smaller than the average one. Such as Dongcheng District Special School with 3,000 square meters.
And some Chinese special education schools (3/15) had built special facilities excepted for some basic teaching facilities. Such as Shanghai School for the Blind, Nanjing school for the blind, Qingdao Center School for the Blind.
A majority manager of Thai special education schools (13/15) said that they had a construction area of almost 5,000-12,000 square meters, and they were teaching buildings, complementary buildings, canteens, playgrounds, libraries, and internship bases. The three types of special education schools have different educational objects, so some functional classrooms had different natures, there were multi-functional language rooms, visual function training rooms, electronic reading rooms, musical instrument classrooms, etc.
However, some Thai schools (2/15) had built special facilities excepted some basic teaching facilities, such as Phuket Panyanukun School, which had an orchard on campus to allow students to grow fruit trees and sell them on the market, combined regional advantages with school teaching.

Parents Education Management of Special Education School in China and Thailand
Q8: What is the management of parents' education?
All managers of Chinese special education schools (15/15) said that they set up a Family Education Guidance Center/Parent School/Parent Class in the school. Second, they formed a parent committee. Third, they strengthened family promotion. Fourth, they paid attention to parental evaluation. Fifth, they did a good job in community building. Sixth, they established communication and network connections.
All Thai managers (15/15) said that they set up the Parent-Teacher Conference. Second, they had a family promotion. Third, parent training/lecture. Fourth, family activities. Finally, parental evaluation

Discussion
Compared to the management styles between Chinese special education schools with Thai special education schools, the majority of aspects of management styles have many similarities in both countries, however, teaching material management and student management are differences.
First, teaching material management, in China, blind and deaf schools applied the teaching material the same as ordinary school, but added some new courses, for blind students have three more courses, Braille, direction identification and orientation walking, self-care. For deaf students added two courses, listening to language training, and sign language courses. While, mental retardation schools have their teaching material, totally different from the blind school and the deaf school, which Including life language, life math, life adaptation, labor skills, singing and rhythm, painting and crafts, sports and health care, and social practice and school-based curriculum, so students with mental retardation can receive the education that better meets their actual needs, is more specialized and targeted, and meets the needs of students' own development. In Thailand, blind, deaf and mental retardation schools all applied the teaching material the same as ordinary school, but blind students must learn to read and write using the Braille language and they also learn to use a white cane. Deaf schools' students must also learn sign language.
Second, student management. Every special education school in Thailand provides education for pre-school children, the ratio reached 15/15, all have a complete school education system. However, only some special education schools in China integrating pre-school education into the education system, the ratio only reached 8/15, therefore, many preschool children with disabilities in China are not accepted by public schools. Parents can only go to a privately-run institution for training or placement at home. This phenomenon is related to the policies of the two countries. Thailand introduced the National Education Act in 1999 ( Chonlatanon, 1995), Chapter 2 of the Act clearly states that all Thai citizens have equal rights and opportunities. It provides for the opportunity to provide each citizen with no less than 12 years of basic education. Public schools are authorized to provide free education for students (free education from kindergarten to high school for 15 years). China currently offers nine years of compulsory education (primary to junior high school) and does not include pre-school education, which may be one of the reasons for the lack of pre-school education in many special education schools.

Conclusion
The research results found that all special education schools in China and Thailand had similar school culture management, both of them pay attention to the development of students, the moral education of students, the students' life skills. All special education schools in China and Thailand had similar administration management in structure and function. Teaching instruction management in China and Thailand was similar, but each had its management advantages. Teaching material management in China and Thailand had similarities and differences, both of them were uniformly designated by the Ministry of Education and the courses were similar, but the social discipline in Thailand offers courses in Buddhist whereas China offers history, politics, and geography, and Chinese mental retardation schools had separate teaching material, however, all Thai special schools used the same teaching materials. Teacher management in China and Thailand consistent, the level of teachers' qualifications was mostly college and undergraduate. Student management in China and Thailand had similarities and differences, both of them provided special education for children from elementary school, junior high school, to senior high school/vocational education, the difference was that Thai special education schools provided education for pre-school children, however, only some Chinese special education schools provided pre-school education. Teaching equipment management in China and Thailand had similarities and differences, both of them had integral school teaching equipment and well-functioning classrooms, however, China put some companies or organizations in special education schools, but Thai special education school not. special education schools in China and Thailand had similar parents education management, both of them had online and offline management of family education.
Compared to Chinese special education schools with Thai special education schools, the advantage of Chinese special education schools is that they can create specialized teaching material suitable for children with mental retardation. It is better to meet students' actual needs, is more specialized and targeted, and meets the needs of students' development. The advantage of Thai special education schools is that they can provide pre-school education in all schools for children with special needs, provide critical early intervention in the early childhood of special children.

Contribution to Knowledge or Theory
This study analyzes the management styles of special education schools in China and Thailand through interviews, and people can understand the management forms of special education schools in China and Thailand in various aspects. This study is to study 8 management elements, school culture, administration management, teaching instruction management, teaching material management, teacher management, student management, teaching equipment management, parent education management. An in-depth analysis of 8 management elements has helped more special education workers to know the current management knowledge and theories of Chinese and Thai special education schools, to learn excellent management knowledge and theories and apply them to the management of special education schools in their own countries.
This study is a comparative study of the management styles of special education schools in China and Thailand. At present, no such articles have been published in the academic area. Therefore, this study has a certain degree of academic innovation and can make up for academic gaps in this area. It is of theoretical contribution to the development of special education.

Contribution to Practice
This study puts forward specific recommendations for the school management of Chinese and Thai special education schools, which will help improve the quality of Chinese and Thai special education school management, provide better education services for students with special needs, and enhance the quality and effectiveness of schools. The research results will provide a reference for managers of special education schools, which has practice significance.
This study compares eight aspects of school management in Chinese and Thai special education schools, including school culture, administration management, teaching instruction management, teaching material management, teacher management, student management, teaching equipment management, parent education management. This allows the two countries to more see the similarities and differences in management, learn excellent management experience, and improve backward management methods. It can provide the above eight aspects of management experience for other Asian special education schools, and even provide effective suggestions for eight aspects of management in special education schools around the world.

Research Limitation
First, this research only does quality research because the research has time and budget limitations.
Second, due to the researcher's limited ability and possible cultural differences with Thais, there may be some deviations in the interpretation of Thai respondents during the interview process, which may cause incomplete understanding.

Recommendations
For China, it is recommended to popularize preschool education and provide education for special children to the greatest extent. China is still popularizing 9-year compulsory education, which needs to be expanded to pre-school, to provide critical early intervention in the early childhood of special children.
For Thailand, it is recommended to create a specialized teaching material suitable for children with mental retardation. Refer to China's teaching materials, so that students with mental retardation can receive the education that better meets their actual needs, is more specialized and targeted, and meets the needs of students' development.
For both countries, it is also necessary to continuously learn the management of special education schools in advanced countries, learn from successful cases and integrate their realities, constantly improve their self-management level, and strive to improve their special education strength.