THE COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF TRENDS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMPETENCY-BASED CURRICULUM IN BASIC EDUCATION IN THAILAND AND INTERNATIONAL

Abstract

This article employs a Documentary Research methodology to conduct a comparative analysis of the development trends of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) in basic education across Thailand and selected international jurisdictions. The study systematically gathered and analyzed secondary data from academic literature, policy reports, national core curricula, and published research from both Thailand and successful CBC implementers globally. The collected data were subjected to qualitative content analysis and categorization to identify similarities, differences, and convergent trends across five critical dimensions: 1) National Policy, 2) Curriculum Structure, 3) Teacher Professional Development, 4) Assessment Systems, and 5) Local Context Integration. The analysis reveals that educationally advanced nations prioritize participatory policy formulation, design flexible, learner-centric curricula, maintain robust systems for continuous teacher professionalization, utilize diversified competency-based assessment, and effectively integrate the curriculum with local communities and cultural contexts. In contrast, Thailand and several ASEAN counterparts grapple with significant challenges, notably the policy-practice gap, the insufficient preparedness of educators for competency-based pedagogy, and an assessment focus skewed toward achievement scores over authentic learner capabilities. The primary global challenge identified is the implementation gap and the need for rigorous institutional support. This paper concludes by presenting policy recommendations derived from the comparative findings, advocating for strengthening the transition to a CBC system in Thailand through an integrated and systemic development approach that ensures concrete and sustainable linkage across all educational components