A GUIDELINE FOR CURRICULUM ADMINISTRATION FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT BASED ON SANGAHAVATTHU IV IN SAMUI 1 NETWORK SCHOOL UNDER SURATTHANI PRIMARY EDUCATIONAL SERVICE AREA OFFICE 1

Abstract

     This research aimed to: 1) study the current conditions of early childhood curriculum administration; 2) investigate guidelines for early childhood curriculum administration based on the Four Principles of Sangahavatthu; and 3) propose and evaluate the guidelines for early childhood curriculum administration based on the Four Principles of Sangahavatthu. This study employed a qualitative research approach. The key informants consisted of 15 school administrators and early childhood teachers in Samui Educational Network 1, and 8 experts participating in a focus group discussion. The research instruments included an interview form and a guideline evaluation form. Data were collected through interviews and a focus group discussion and analyzed using inductive analysis. The guidelines were evaluated in terms of appropriateness, feasibility, and usefulness.

The findings revealed that:

1. The current conditions of early childhood curriculum administration encountered limitations in budget, time, and personnel. As a result, curriculum development, implementation, supervision, monitoring, and improvement lacked continuity and comprehensiveness. Teachers had heavy workloads and received insufficient support. In addition, cooperation from parents and the community was not fully effective, leading to learning management that was not fully aligned with the context and developmental needs of learners.


2. The guidelines for early childhood curriculum administration consisted of five areas: 1) preparation of educational institutions; 2) development of the school curriculum; 3) curriculum implementation in the learning process; 4) supervision, monitoring, and evaluation of curriculum implementation; and 5) curriculum improvement and development. These areas were integrated with the Four Principles of Sangahavatthu as operational principles: 1) Dana (giving and sharing); 2) Piyavaca (kind and polite speech); 3) Atthacariya (conducting oneself for the benefit of others); and 4) Samanattata (equality and collaborative participation). The institutions applied these principles systematically in their operational procedures.


3. The results of the presentation and evaluation of the proposed guidelines indicated that all experts agreed that the guidelines were appropriate, feasible, and beneficial for implementation in early childhood curriculum administration in educational institutions.