Reframing SDG 4 Implementation Gaps in Thailand: An Institutional Risk-Cognition Framework for Sustainable Education Reform

Abstract

Background: Thailand’s secondary education system continues to exhibit a persistent gap between reform aspirations and the quality and equity commitments of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4: Quality Education). Although previous research has emphasized structural and implementation constraints, less attention has been given to how sustainability-oriented reform challenges are institutionally framed, interpreted, and translated into action. Methods: This conceptual study developed the Sustainable Education Cognition and Response Model (SECRM), a three-stage analytical framework comprising perception, processing, and decision/action. The framework drew on risk cognition and decision-making theory and was developed through a purposive synthesis of scholarly literature and Thai and international education policy documents. It was presented as a diagnostic framework and was not empirically tested. Results: The conceptual synthesis identified recurring institutional patterns in problem framing, reform interpretation, and implementation coupling. These informed a framework that specifies observable indicators across the three SECRM stages and generates propositions for future empirical investigation. Conclusion: The SECRM provides a theoretically grounded framework for examining how sustainability-oriented reform challenges are represented, interpreted, and operationalized within policy systems. The framework offers observable institutional indicators and analytically testable propositions to support future research on SDG 4 implementation and sustainable education reform in Thailand.