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Data analysis Data analysis consists of three areas
1. To analyze documents. 2. To analyze Semi-structured interview and
story telling . 3. To synthesize the data a group discussion.
Findings 1. The context of Princess Chulabhorn’s
College, Trang: Princess Chulabhorn’s College, Trang operates and manages education for students,
in both the lower and upper secondary levels, who have talents for mathematics and science in the
form of a boarding school. The College aims to disperse opportunities to talented students who live
in different regions of Thailand and also to provide opportunities to students who have no chances and
are poor in order to become a world-class Science School.
2. Educational Quality Development of Princess Chulabhorn’s College, Trang: According
to System Theory, input factors consist of the characteristics of students, teachers, executives and
other resources that benefit teaching management. The processes consist of students’ processes,
teachers’ processes, executives and their administration processes, teacher and executive
development processes and student admission processes. The outputoutcome consists of learning
achievement and the expected characteristics of students of a Science School.
3.Guidelines for Educational Quality Development towards Science School : The
operation and management of education aims to develop mathematics and science excellence
according to Science School standards. These standards consist of 1 the students, 2 teacher and
teaching activities, 3 executive and administration, 4 the curriculum, 5 information technology for
teaching, 6 the dormitory and building, 7 the science laboratory, 8 the library.
Discussion The results of the research can be de
described as the following.
1. The Students The characteristics of the students of
Princess Chulabhorn’s College, Trang are to seek knowledge, be eager to learn, help each other, have
responsibility, be committed to work, enjoy team- work, have self-confidence to think and decide in a
positive way, are engaged in public service, be creative thinkers and have skills to search for
knowledge independently, which includes the ability to use technology for learning. Student
processes included processes through which the students participate in different activities, have
enthusiasm and responsibility for activities and are able to choose the activities in which they are
interested. Students participate in designing or creating activities, planning activities, operating
activities, and managing activities evaluation and reporting. Students are trained to work in teams and
are encouraged to engage in learning by doing. This is in accordance with the characteristics of
students at Mahidol Wittayanusorn School 2010 who have developed world-class knowledge, skills
and abilities. Students are able to effectively communicate in Thai, English and other foreign
languages. Students have thinking skills, judgement, consideration, analytical skills, creative
thinking, and problem-solving skills and have the self-confidence to think and decide in a positive
way. Students are able to design, create, and develop their work, inventions and innovations by
using proper technology. Students have the skills to plan, manage, engage in team-work and are able to
find ways to run businesses in a new economic system. Students have a sense of responsibility,
leadership, self-worth, pride, discipline, morality, ethics, compassion, and public service. Students are
aware and proud of the Thai identity: our language, arts and cultures and wisdom. They are able to to
understand our national history and uphold democratic values and are able to be confident in
cross-cultural situations.
2. Teacher and Teaching Activities The analysis shows that teachers are
responsible, are committed and have the intention to teach, plan lessons and pay more attention to
students, especially students who stay in the school dormitory. Teachers always develop themselves to
be able to pass knowledge onto their students. Teachers listen to students’ opinions and exchange
opinions with students.Teachers are knowledgeable and hold expertise in their subjects and are able to
realise the differences in students’ potentials. As for the teaching process, the results indicate that
teachers have various teaching techniques based on their experiences. The teachers use media and
technology to teach, and incorporate the use of scientific process skills, searching skills and project
processes in their teaching management.
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The teachers use internal and external learning sources and learn by doing, and organise
integration instruction and do research to develop their teaching. It is in accordance with the research
of Jintana Sakpuaram 2002, research title: A Proposed Model of the Charter School
Administration for Thailand. It is found that assessment and evaluation processes will assess all
areas of a school such as knowledge and realisation development, thinking skills, morality and expected
values. Students’ works, their operation and behaviours, their learning behaviours, their
participation in various school activities and their portfolio are used to assess students’ learning.
3. Executive and Administration This study shows that the executives of
Princess Chulabhorn’s College, Trang have a clear vision, display academic leadership, have good
interpersonal relations, have administration and coordination abilities, have a dedicated support
staff, are able to think creatively, show diligence and patience, are committed to efficiently
administrating the school, have technological abilities, listen to the opinions of others and are
committed to developing the school. The executives have developed administration
processes based on participation and cooperation from every facet of the school. Teacher and
executive development processes take place continuously. This is in accordance with the
research of Jintana Sakpuaram 2002, research title: A Proposed Model of the Charter School
Administration for Thailand. Here, findings indicate that teacher quality development is
considered the most important factor in achieving the objectives of the school. All teachers and
school staff have opportunities to develop themselves by participating in lectures, meetings or
seminars. Likewise Supaluck Setthapanich 2007 studied the development of a school administrative
system which was aimed at achieving excellence in a private school and found that the role of the
school executive leadership is to specify the direction of developing a school, pass on
information about the direction of developing the school to the school personnel, authorise and
support participation by all stakeholders, manage education according to the requirements and
expectations of the students, parents and other people involved, plan and follow a clear strategy,
ensure that the organisation is flexible, support training and development of personnel, foster
motivation amongst personnel and allow for personnel to progress in their careers.
4. The Curriculum The twelve Princess Chulabhorn’s
Colleges create the curriculum together and all stakeholders in the schools participate in this
process including, among others, teachers, parents and school committees. Mahidol Wittayanusorn
School is a consultant in creating the curriculum of a Science School, which emphasises science,
mathematics and technology. The standards and indicators of the curriculum are specified and the
regulations for curriculum evaluation and administration are conducted by the curriculum
administration committee of Princess Chulabhorn’s colleges. All the groups involved think, create and
are responsible for the curriculum together. The curriculum is developed and improved gradually.
The regulations and criteria of the curriculum are set up in order to be applied to learning
management in order to ensure that the curriculum standards are met. It is in accordance with
educators’ opinions Tyler, 1949; Wichien Wongyai, 1990; Phaitoon Sinlarat et al; Adul
Wiriyavechakul, 1998: A curriculum is an important instrument that allows education
management to achieve the expected objectives. Finally, the curriculum is considered as a work plan
for a school to manage education, and to respond to students’ and society’s needs. Evaluation and
assessment processes are done continuously using various methods. A subjective test is used and this
is a standard test for groups of Science Schools. It is in accordance with the research of Jintana
Sakpuaram 2002, research title: A Proposed Model of the Charter School Administration for
Thailand. It is found that assessment and evaluation processes assess all areas of education management
such as knowledge and realisation development, thinking processes, morality and expected values.
Learning assessment is evaluated from students’ work, work processes, behaviours, learning
behaviours and participation in activities.
5. Information Technology for Teaching This study finds that the school has a
policy and plan to use information technology for teaching. The school has a personnel development
plan to be able to use technology for teaching and has enough efficient technology for teachers and
students. It is in accordance with the research of
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Sananjit Sukonthasap et al. 1999, research title: A study of factors affecting success of a charter
school. It is found that media and technology, in terms of materials and methods, are the factors that
help a school to be successful in teaching management. Innovation media attracts students’
attention, saves time and makes lessons interesting. Method technology, such as innovation in teaching
management, evaluation and administration techniques, also helps the school to administrate
effectively and students are able to learn effectively. Likewise Wuttichai Niemted 2009
studied the factors affecting the educational quality of the English Programme in secondary schools
under the Office of the Basic Education Commission, Ministry of Education and he found
that technology becomes a very important factor because it allows for new findings and new
development of things. Scientific development goes on very fast, so technology becomes a necessity for
developed and developing society. Technological progress and advances make a society closer. It is
easier and faster for people to receive news and information. Now, an education society uses
technology for teaching management.
6. The Dormitory and Building This study finds that the dormitory
system is standardised, convenient, safe, suitable and can be a source for students to search for
knowledge or information by themselves.
7. The Science Laboratory It is found that the science laboratory is
equipped with experiment materials, and that it is modern, effective and enough for students.
Students are allowed to use the science laboratory beyond opening hours of the laboratory and there
are scientific staff helping and supporting students. This is in accordance with the research of Amrung
Jantawanich 2004. He studied the basic concept of a perfect school and found that media, material,
modern technology, various learning sources within the school and suitable surroundings affect quality
education management.
8. The Library It is found that the library atmosphere
and surroundings are suitable for learning and searching for information. There is a room for
searching for information and there is the necessary technology to allow students to collect and search
for information data. Librarians support the students and have consultation hours. There are
books that meet students’ and personnel’s needs. The school allows students and personnel to
participate in selecting and buying books. The library is open on public holidays and stays open
until 10pm on normal working days. The library also organises activities to encourage students to
search for knowledge continuously. It is in accordance with the research of Setthaphorn
Norkam 2005 who studied indicator development of
educational quality concerning the characteristics of learning sources. She found that
schools should have learning sources that promote learning; that is a classroom, language laboratory,
library, and other resources that support enough and various types of learning and provide physical
convenience effectively. This is one of factors affecting educational quality.
Suggestion
The research of educational quality development should be studied more on the
following:
1. Student Technology skill, Thinking skill and
Information skill. 2. Teacher
Teaching and learning process. 3. Executive
Management Style
References
Aikpetch Choosak,2012. Educational Quality Development of Basic Educational School.
Far Eastern University: Jatuphorn Publishing.
Mahidol Wittayanusorn School. 2010. Annual Report of 2010. Photocopied document
Niemted,Wuttichai. 2009. An Analysis of Factors Affecting Educational Quality of the
English Program in Secondary Schools under the Office of the Basic Education
Commission, Ministry of Education. PH.D Thesis of Educational Administration.
Chulalongkorn University. Copy
Norkam ,Setthaphorn. 2005. Indicator Development of Teaching Management
Quality of the English Program in Bilingual Schools. Master’s Degree Thesis
of Educational Research Chulalongkorn
University. Copy
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Sakpuaram, Jintana.2002. A Proposed Model of the Charter School Administration for
Thailand. Ph.D. Thesis of Educational Administration. Chulalongkorn University.
Copy
Settapanich,Supaluck.2007.Administration System Development Aiming at School Excellence.
PH.D. Thesis of Educational. Sinlarat,Phaitoon. et al 1988 . Assessment of
Master’s Degree, Faculty of Education: Research Report. Bangkok: Graduate
School Office, Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University. Copy
Sukonthasap, Sananjit et al.1999. Guideline for Management of Charter Schools: Lessons
from Foreign Countries. Bangkok: T.P. Print Company Limited.
The Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology. 2010.
Learning Quality of Thai Students Synthesizing Assessment of
International Students, PISA 2006 and TIMSS 2007. Bangkok: Seven Printing
Group Company Limited.
The Office for National Education Standards and Quality Assessment Public
Organization.2011.External Quality Assessment Report for Basic Education
Schools, Second Assessment 2011- 2015. Bangkok.
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Educational Strategies of Vocational Education for Special Administrative Zone
in Southern Border Provinces in the Next Decade 2012-2021
Sumawadee Phuangchan, Ekkarin Sungtong
The objectives of this research were to present Strategic Education of Vocational Education for Southern Border Provinces
for 2012-2021. This policy research or strategic study was the mixed
methodology research involving two phases. The first phase was documentary research on the past educational management of
vocational education by content analysis method. The second phase then followed by the development of educational strategy of
Vocational Education for Southern Border Provinces for the next decade with Delphi technique.
The study results were the following. The study revealed the educational management strategy for Strategic Education of
Vocational Education for Southern Border Provinces in 2012-2021 comprises 4 strategies. Strategy 1 involves morale and safety
boosting for personnel such as hiring security guards and road show presentation. Strategy 2 contains learning resources development
and teaching adaptation according to situation such as standard vocational learning laboratory and promotion of dual language
learning. Strategy 3 includes increasing college potential and learner’s efficiency such as job training outside the local area and
long distance satellite information system development. Strategy 4 comprises building collaboration network such as parallel
curriculum.
Corresponding author: sumawadee_photmail.com
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Educational Management Problems and the Promotion of Early Childhood First Model Centers in Songkhla Province
Titikorn Thongsuksai
Prince of Songkla University, Pattani Campus, Thailand e-mail: freshkati2523gmail.com
Asst.Prof.Dr.Ekkarin Sungtong
Prince of Songkla University, Pattani Campus, Thailand e-mail: blackovationhotmail.com
Abstract
Appropriate and effective educational management of early childhood is critical and
meaningful for further study of children in the changing world. This qualitative study aimed to
examine educational management, encountering problems including practical guidelines for
educational management of early childhood first model center in Songkhla Province. There were 13
key informants including 5 directors and 8 teachers. A purposeful selection was employed to select sites and
participants for the study. Research instruments were a semi-structured interview protocol, related
documents and the researcher as a key instrument. Data were analyzed by using content analysis and
constant comparative method. The findings of this study revealed that educational management of early
childhood first model center in Songkhla Province significantly scrutinized its administrative structure in
the form of active committees. The management also tightly tied with curriculum application which was
appropriate to the nature of learners, qualified early childhood teachers and the environment which was
conducive to students’ learning. This study revealed that main problems were insufficient budget included
deficiency of teachers’ and directors’ awareness and recognition in developing early childhood first model
center, inadequate and unqualified teachers . The critical guidelines in promoting educational
management of early childhood first model center were personnel’ professional development and
adequate of the budget allocation. Keywords: Management, Problems, Promotion, Early
childhood first model center
Introduction
There are many important factors influencing national socio-economic development, but the most
important is the quality and effectiveness of human resources. For this reason, early childhood is a key
period for building the foundations of national development Ministry of Education, 2004. Young
children are a key resource requiring adequate support especially before the age of six, a key age for learning
compared to other stages of life Sulaisri, K., 2004. Because both body and brain are developing at this
age, receiving proper guidance and support from parents is a crucial influence on the childs character
and abilities in later life Auammanee, P., 2004. According to Khunwetviriya, P. 2005, early
childhood is a valuable stage of life that involves physical, psychological, emotional, social, and
intellectual development.
Education is a key mechanism for improving the quality of national human resources. The quality
of education management for children aged 3-5 years old should be emphasized given the research
worldwide demonstrating the importance of the first six years of childrens life in their development.
Researchers believe that the process of learning at this age has a life-long influence on character and
abilities, as in this phase, the development of the nervous system and the brain are building a
foundation that accounts for 80 percent of the adult nervous system. A supportive and caring environment
during early childhood is a crucial factor in the development of lifelong personality and character
traits, and healthy brain development during this period lays the foundation for future intellectual
ability Ministry of Education, 2006.
There are many key terms early childhood education management, such as kindergarten, pre-
primary and early childhood. Particularly important is the definition of early childhood education, which
refers to caring for and educating children from birth
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until the age of five to prepare them for primary education. Early childhood education has existed in
Thailand for about fifty years, and there are many academies providing early childhood education such
as schools under the Office of Basic Education, private primary schools, kindergarten schools in
temples, schools in Bangkok, early child centers, and district tessaban schools.
In 1999, after the promulgation of Section 12 of the National Education Act, families,
organizations, and communities were granted a degree of self-management with regard to education.
Although schools apply the same curriculum, the result may vary because of diverse family
backgrounds and different degrees of knowledge, experience and preparation on the part of
organizations. In particular, when parents do not have enough time to look after their children and have to
depend on older relatives to look after them instead, children are not able to develop appropriate skills and
knowledge because their caretakers lack the knowledge to educate them. This retards child
development and can result in disabilities. The national education plan 2002-2016 provides policies
covering education from birth to death. Its goals include support for early childhood centers to foster
all aspects of child development and prepare children to enter the education system. At present, early
childhood education management in rural areas faces the challenges of insufficient education facilities,
staff, materials, and tools in addition to coping with deprivation caused by poverty. For this reason, the
government has initiated policies that support rural early childhood education management with the
eventual aim of matching the quality of urban early childhood education. The role of primary education
service areas is to choose an educational institution as a model center for early childhood education. This
policy of selecting model early childhood centers in primary education service areas using the early
childhood education curriculum began in 2006. To achieve the required performance goals, it necessary
to put the curriculum into practice and support early childhood education management. Having a good role
model or prototype makes it easier to achieve success.
In Songkhla, one early childhood center was chosen as the first model center from each of the
sixteen districts, as well as one center chosen as a model for the whole province. The researcher is
interested in studying early childhood education management in order to apply this knowledge to
identify problems in first model centers in Songkhla and develop guidelines to further promote good early
childhood education management practices there. The research questions are
1. How successfully is early childhood education management being implemented in first model centers
in Songkhla? 2. What problems in early childhood education
management exist in these centers? 3. How might early childhood education management
be improved in these centers? The objectives of the research are
1. To study education management in first early childhood model centers in Songkhla.
2. To identify and study problems in education management in these centers.
3. To develop guidelines for the promotion of good early childhood education management practices in
these centers.
Definition of terms
1. Early childhood education management in first model centers involves identifying high-quality
processes for employing existing resources in order to achieve goals.
2. A first model early childhood center is defined as an educational institution with high-quality
education management, sufficient support for all kinds of children, and a focus on child development.
Such a center is a place where students can learn and access academic resources, one that provides early
childhood education that receives recognition from the community and society.
3. Executive committee management in an first model early childhood center refers to the
executive director of the center, the head of academic studies, the head of budget management, the head of
human resource, the head of administration, teachers at the early childhood level, the early childhood
parents committee, and the basic education commission.
4. Academic management refers to the implementation of the early childhood centers
mission with regard to fostering the psychological and academic development of rural children. The core
curriculum for national education plays an essential role in evaluation and follow-up for both normal and
disabled children.
5. Management of human resources refers to the implementation of the early childhood centers
mission with regard to recruitment and staff selection to suit the needs of children, the qualifications of
early childhood teachers, teacher training and development, networking, welfare and morale,
follow-up and evaluation as well as reporting on the implementation of these responsibilities.
6. Budget management refers to the
implementation of the early childhood centers mission to identify and utilise sources of income, save
money, utilise appropriate accounting practices, monitor the accounting system, create monthly and
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annual financial reports, analyse the financial results of the centers service and implement programmes to
improve efficiency and effectiveness following the regulations of the Ministry of Finance.
7. General administration refers to the implementation of the mission of the early childhood
center with regard to supporting and coordinating academic staff, personal budgeting, and taking care of
buildings and the environment. Such factors influence the quality of work and information systems and may
require assistance from other organizations and people.
8. Problems of education management in a first model early childhood center refers to obstacles
to implementation that cause delays in the process of education management.
9. The process of education management in a first model early childhood center refers to
improvements in the implementation of early childhood education in order to achieve greater
efficiency and effectiveness.
The research framework
Policies and the implementation process at first model early childhood centers.
The Ministry of Education have created policies to develop rural early childhood centers to improve
quality management so as to equal the level of urban schools. In keeping with these policies, the Office of
the Basic Education Commission has directed each primary educational service area to choose schools as
Ministry of Education first model early childhood centers in each district to achieve the following goals:
to develop their education quality; to assist other schools in developing high-quality education
management in order to support child development and learning; to promote academic coordination; and
to be exemplars of early childhood education that achieve community and social recognition; and to
maintain education quality so that other childhood education centers can emulate the key elements of the
process of implementing high-quality early childhood education.
Early childhood education management in first model centers involves identifying high-quality
processes for employing existing resources in order to achieve the center’s goals. The scope of education
management in early childhood centers under the Office of the Basic Education Commission involves
the following four aspects Ministry of Education, 2007:
Academic management involves the implementation of the early childhood center’s
mission with regard to fostering the psychological and academic development of rural children and working
together is a key factor to provide stronger in education management and be able to develop the
curriculum, education institution, experience as well as quality evaluation.
Budget management involves the implementation of the early childhood center’s
mission to achieve qualitative goals by means of strategies formulated according to data analysis
covering all aspects of the center’s operations and plans for implementation and budgeting.
Human resource management involves assigning the right teacher to the right work, ensuring
that teachers are appropriately qualified, and developing staff capabilities to achieve the center’s
goals.
General administration staff in first model early childhood centers emphasize information
systems to provide services to other departments in achieving the center’s goals through coordination,
motivation, support, and convenience.
Research methodology
This research project implements a flexible qualitative methodology involving a case study aimed
at understanding and facts and phenomena via in- depth research emphasizing relationships between
facts and social issues Lincoln Guba, 1989. The data collection methodology involves interviews with
13 participants: 5 school directors and 8 teachers. These participants are selected either because they are
potential sources of insight into education management in first model early childhood centers in
Songkhla or they have extensive real world education management experience of more than 5 years.
Instruments A semi-structured interview with a
standardized set of questions, which were asked in order, was employed. The data collection method
used in this research project was in-depth interviews taking place at participants’ workplaces. These
interviews lasted between one and one and a half hours. Researchers aimed to build credibility by
creating rapport with participants. Data analysis involved identifying and scrutinizing similarities and
differences between elements of data.
Finding
It was found that education management at the first model early childhood centers focuses on its
scope and mission management by utilizing the following management structure:
1. The first model early childhood centers will select a new management committee for assisting
children. This may be the same committee as the Office of the Basic Education Commission,
comprising directors, the heads of four departments, teachers who can teach at the early childhood level,
and a parents’ committee, but the management committee composition will depend on how well
prepared the schools are and on the decisions of the schools. The committee will play a vital role in
improving education management by following up the
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implementation of early childhood education by the centers.
2. Early childhood education management in the centers emphasizes: 1 the reforms made to the
early childhood curriculum in 2003 to adapt it to the needs of learners and real-life situations as well as to
make it more up-to-date; 2 using the curriculum in consultation with parents and the community,
ensuring that the environment, study atmosphere, materials, and child evaluation are suitable, and
preparing teachers by providing early childhood education training; 3 providing curriculum
supervision to follow up and evaluate the first model early childhood center curricula in the form of one-
on-one consultations, group discussions among academic staff and directors, and informal
collaboration and mutual supervision.
3. Budget management reported that first model early childhood centers received an initial
combined grant of 500,000 Baht divided among three educational service areas in Songkhla. The centers
need to plan how to manage this budget by analyzing the school’s needs and budget planning. All the
processes implemented in the first model early childhood centers must fulfill the conditions set by the
Office of the Basic Education Commission.
4. Human resources staff reported that the centers emphasize consideration of the role of
teachers, qualifications, assigning the right staff to the right work, and training teachers in order to achieve
the centers’ goal of assisting children in their development. First model early childhood centers are
places where teachers participate in group activities, work diligently, and utilize innovative pedagogy to
enable learners to improve their abilities.
5. General administration staff report that first model early childhood centers emphasize
information systems to provide services to other departments in achieving the center’s goals through
coordination, motivation, support, and convenience. They focus on developing the first model early
childhood center in terms of management, buildings and facilities, to promote the overall goal of child
education. The centers apply information systems from all departments to manage study and learning,
address problems, identify necessary changes in academic management, budget, human resources,
technology, material and performance.
The first model early childhood centers encountered several problems in implementing
their program: 1. Lack of funds has caused education
management budgets to decrease every year because budgets depend on decisions made by the Office of
the Basic Education Commission.
2. Teachers and office workers do not understand the importance of developing first model
early childhood centers, and directors in particular emphasize basic education management rather than
the institution’s role as a first model early childhood center. This problem impedes the development of the
center.
3. Teachers whose duties include caring for young children still lack adequate knowledge and
understanding of early childhood education management. Teachers often have not studied an
appropriate major, and there are often not enough teachers to meet requirements.
It was found that the process of promotion of education management in first model early childhood
centers in Songkhla involve two key factors: 1.Sufficient funds – it is important to provide
enough money to the first model early childhood centers to enable centers in each education service
area to implement education management and sufficient funds to support improvements in early
childhood education in all departments to provide the foundation for students’ later study in pre-primary
schools.
2. Training directors and teachers – there is a need for training to understand education
management for both directors and teachers. Directors in particular play a vital role in education
management, so they need to understand what children need and how education management can be
developed to fulfill those needs. Training directors and teachers is the key factor developing insight and
up-to-date knowledge of education management to motivate staff and emphasize the promotion of
developing early childhood education so as to fulfill the potential of each individual student.
Discussion
The research outcomes are presented here as they relate to the three research objectives given
above. 1. It was found that education management in first
model early childhood centers in Songkhla can be characterized as follows:
1.1 The selection of committees coordinating first model early childhood centers play a vital role in
education management because education management, which is distinguished from other kinds
of management by its mission to prepare children to develop physically, emotionally, mentally, socially
and intellectually. Because of the need for cooperation between directors, teachers, schools, parents, and the
community, it is necessary to involve the education management committee in the planning,
implementation, evaluation and discussion of new ideas. Hhinnukool , N. 2001 states that in addition to
the role of education committees in formulating policies, planning the development of schools, and
implementing plans to assist early childhood education management and the role of the child’s
environment, parents also play a vital role in caring for children. According to Wilaichon et al. research
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demonstrates that parents support children in their development and create new experiences for them.
1.2 Academic management needs to improve the development of early childhood curricula. This
research project found that curricula, supervision, and evaluation are key tools within the scope of education
management for the development of learner’s basic capabilities, laying the foundation for later quality of
life and contribution to society. Excellent education management needs to relate to the life and society of
the learner, and it is necessary to reform and develop the curriculum and regularly evaluate it to ensure that
it is suited to current economic and social conditions. Such regular updating of the curriculum is a tool for
developing education management and providing clear goals. Thus, curricula play a vital role in the
education management of first model centers.
Wonganutraroad,P. 2000 states that academic management is a key factor in improving the standard
and quality of education institutions in that it uses information to make decisions affecting academic
outcomes, programs, curricula, and study, which are the core roles of education institutions.
1.3 Budget management of the center involves planning to meet costs by analyzing school
characteristics first and then formulating a strategy to limit costs while developing the first model early
childhood center. The research also found that budgets relate to objective and policies,
implementation and structure, so budgets play a vital role in promotion and support of measures to achieve
objectives. This relates to the emphasis placed by the Office of the Basic Education Commission on the
necessity of appropriate use of grants.
1.4 It was found that human resource management have the duty of assigning the right
teacher to the right work, ensuring that teachers are appropriately qualified, and developing staff
capabilities to achieve the center’s goals. The reason for this finding is that education management must
consider limitations of work load and the individual ability of staff members to undertake particular jobs.
Radomkit, S. 1999 found that almost all schools manage staff in three key ways: first, they ensure that
teachers are assigned to particular duties on the basis of their educational qualifications, ability, and
experience; second, they conduct work evaluations, monitor the performance of teachers, and organize
training and site visits to other organizations; and third, they follow Ministry of Education guidelines
and use them to develop teachers. 1.5 General administration in first model early
childhood centers involves all department work to build information systems such as academic
administration, budget, and human resources. General administration uses this information support the first
model early childhood center. This research found that the reason for this result is that general
administration relates to the education management system that provides services and promotes
administration and supports other departments to achieve the goals and objectives of the educational
institution of which it is part. Assawapoom,S. 2006 states that general administration involves activities
that support education institutions in achieving goals and coordinating with other organizations to achieve
joint goals.
The research identified several problems in the education management of first model early
childhood centers in Songkhla: 2.1 Insufficient budgets are a problem that
needs to be addressed immediately because it results in work delays that affect the quality of teaching at
all levels. Therefore, centers receiving budget allocations for project activities for all work need to
know how much is needed for each project and improve their organization’s ability to make efficient
use of funds. This finding conforms with the finding of Runjareon, T 2002 that budget shortfalls are a
key obstacle to effective administration and management of educational institutions in Thailand,
and with the finding of Changkul, W. 2009 that education management in Thailand faces many
problems that need to be addressed immediately. 2.2 Lack of awareness is another problem
identified in this research project. Directors and teachers do not focus enough on developing the first
model early childhood centers because directors pay more attention to basic education management.
Directors do not understand education management in early childhood clearly to take care of children
properly. This supports the findings of Saraban, R. 2004 that directors of first model early childhood
centers lack expertise in education management, teachers have not graduated with the right major,
there are too few teachers and assistant teachers, compensation is inadequate, and the community lacks
knowledge and understanding of education management.
2.3 Teachers lack understanding and knowledge to look after young children well. In
addition, many teachers have not graduated with the right major, and child-teacher ratios are too high. This
research found that teachers in early childhood centers need to have specific ability and knowledge to assist
children to improve their skills and knowledge because early childhood is a distinct stage of life
requiring special skills. Children also need to spend time with their parents, so it is a challenge for
teachers in early childhood centers to apply their ability, patience, and skill to impress the parents. To
solve these problems, recruitment of teachers needs to focus on candidates who love their work and are kind
and patient with children so as to provide children with a good experience and make study attractive to
their students. It is also necessary to encourage teachers to continue in their careers by encouraging
them and maintaining their morale. This relates to the research of Saythong, R. 1999 who identified the
following problems with activities management in
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early childhood: lack of teachers and inadequate materials, equipment, and playgrounds for the large
numbers of students enrolled; lack of understanding about activities on the part of parents; and lack of
understanding of evaluation and follow-up.
3. In Songkhla, education management first model early childhood centers have presented
