What does it take to be an effective educational adviser in Indonesia and Thailand?

Abstract

Structured group interviews with Thai and Indonesian educators indicate that expatriate advisers require a wide range of personal and professional qualities to be effective: they must have expertise, be able to establish and maintain good relationships with people, be well organised and effective teachers, and transfer information and skills that are applicable and of benefit to the nation. None of these qualities is simple or uni-dimensional. They [The?]study shows, for example, that 'expertise' has several elements including technical expertise, cultural knowledge, language ability and expertise in education. More recent research with Indonesian medical educators indicates that different professional groups may have quite different expectations of advisers from other groups in the same country. Practical implications of the findings are in overseas project design, management and placement of personnel, professional development of experts, and in the design, implementation and evaluation of teaching and training.